Recrudesce of Evangelion
by Z98
Summary: With the passing of the Third Impact, Shinji and Asuka are the only ones left. But why have they been chosen? The reason is the setting for the final battle between Heaven and Hell.
1. Asuka

The idea came from a pic I found over the net thanks to a very helpful fan of Adaptation. I have no idea who drew the picture, but it was a damn good job! It's called Reprise of Evangelion and I hope Gainax hires whoever made that if they haven't already. By the way, I have never prepared or eaten Ramen, so don't expect me to know how to do it. Oh, anyone else notice that new design for Review next to the titles?  
  
Recrudesce of Evangelion  
  
Prologue: Asuka  
  
Shinji fell back, finally realizing what he had been doing. The young boy backed away on all four, his hands sinking into the sand. Finally he stopped and looked at the form that was before him. Asuka Langley Soryu, the Second Child and his roommate was lying on the beach in front of him, in her plugsuit and covered partially with bandages. Shinji got back up onto his feet, his entire body trembling at the realization of what he had nearly done. His hands shook the most, the same hands that had nearly choked the life out of Asuka. Shinji walked forward again, ignoring the sand that had somehow made their way into his shoes. He fell to his knees at Asuka's side, not sure what he was supposed to do.  
  
"Asuka."  
  
The girl beside him blinked a few times, her one uncovered blue eye pale and slightly blank. Suddenly it came back into focus, but she still made no response towards the young Ikari. Asuka merely laid there, unmoving. Her mind on the other hand was racing. Memories of what had happened flooded her mind, showing her the battles she had fought, ones she had lost and ones she had won. But in the end, she still lost. Asuka closed her eyes, too tired to continue to think.  
  
Shinji started crying, tears flowing out of his eyes as he looked at Asuka's still form. She looked so peaceful and carefree sleeping there. He wiped the tears out of his eyes and tried to stop them completely. This wasn't the time for mourning. That would come later. The one thing he did remember from all that had happened was that he wanted to live. No matter what, he would live, and Asuka would too. Shinji ran his hand down Asuka's cheek, admiring the beauty that slept before him. He managed a weak smile, but at least it was a smile. Carefully the young Ikari looped his arms under Asuka and picked her up. The German girl was lighter than he had expected, which was actually rather fortunate. He held her close to make sure there was no danger of dropping her before he stood up straight. Taking one last look at the massive head that still floated in the orange sea, Shinji started walking.  
  
Shinji avoided going over the dunes and simply went around them. He quickly came off the beach, a trail of footprints in the sand left behind him. They were a little ways from the district where their apartment lay, so Shinji hoped he wouldn't be too tired before getting there. He also hoped that the apartment was still there. There was a surprising amount of grass growing in area considering how much fighting had taken place. Shinji took some time to absorb what he was seeing all around him as he walked. He didn't feel anything in his legs, which was probably a good thing. He continued to carry Asuka for what seemed to be an eternity until he found roads. The asphalt was like a sign of civilization and Shinji was glad to see it. He followed the road until finally the two of them were in sight of what remained of Tokyo 3. Shinji felt exhausted, having carried Asuka so far. He still didn't feel much in his legs, but his arms were burning and he needed to rest soon.  
  
Shinji entered the city with Asuka in his arms and walked quickly to the apartment complex. To his great relief it was still standing and the elevator worked too. He was soon on their floor and walked to the door. Laying Asuka down carefully, Shinji fumbled around in his pockets. Luck must have been with him for his keycard was in his pant's back pocket. He slid the card through the reader and the door opened. Shinji picked Asuka up again and carried her inside. He laid her down in the couch and got a blanket from her room. He covered her with it to keep her from getting cold before sitting down on the other sofa. Taking deep breaths, Shinji tried to get a gripe of what had happened. Third Impact had happened despite everything he, Asuka, and Rei had done to try to prevent it. No, Rei did something else.  
  
Memories of a giant Rei appeared in his head, and he realized that the massive head that was in water looked very much like Rei. So what had she done? Knowing the truth hurt, so Shinji didn't try too hard to understand anything. He looked around the apartment to see what was still running. All of the clocks kept flashing 12:00, so that meant something had fried power momentarily. But at least power did run through this place. Shinji walked into the kitchen and turned on the water. Both hot and cold water was still running, so that was a miracle. He opened the fridge and found lots of ready to eat food and beer. The sight of the beer reminded Shinji of what happened to Misato. His eyes became glossy for a few seconds and he returned back to consciousness. He was gasping for breath and closed the refrigerator. Shinji walked back to the living room and collapsed on the sofa. His fatigue finally hit him, nearly knocking him out. Shinji got comfortable and closed his eyes, welcoming the darkness that came with them.  
  
"Baka!"  
  
Shinji's eyes snapped open and turned his head around. Asuka was looking at him fiercely from where he had deposited her on the couch.  
  
"Finally you're awake!" she said, "What the hell is going on!"  
  
Shinji yawned and stretched before even attempting to answer.  
  
"Third Impact," he said simply.  
  
Asuka's eyes narrowed as if she didn't believe him.  
  
"Then why the hell are we here?" Asuka demanded.  
  
"I don't know. Why are we here?"  
  
Asuka growled. "Of all the people I have to end up with, why did it have to be you! Damn it! Where's everyone else!"  
  
"They're all gone," Shinji replied, "Everyone we ever knew is dead. We're the last two humans alive."  
  
"Oh this is just great. Why do I have you be with you? It's not like you're good for anything. I mean, why couldn't someone stronger survived instead of a weakling like you?"  
  
Shinji simply ignored her insults, seeing no reason to care what she said. Besides, wasn't this the same Asuka that had abused him so much before? But he had tried to kill her. Well, he had brought her back here. Without him, she would probably still be lying down at the beach.  
  
"Are you listening to me!" Asuka screamed.  
  
She tried to move but screamed out, pain shooting throughout her entire body.  
  
"Asuka!" Shinji said, rushing to her side. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Do I look okay?" Asuka snapped.  
  
Shinji removed the blanket and found blood was seeping through the bandages.  
  
"Here, let me help you."  
  
"I don't need your help," Asuka said defiantly but did nothing to stop him.  
  
Before doing anything, Shinji got a pair of scissors from his room and a lot of bandages and wrappings from the aid kit Misato had. There were also a few towels from the bathroom and a small bucket of warm water. It took about five minutes to get all of it, but Shinji didn't want to be missing anything while he examined Asuka. He came back into the living room to find Asuka looking directly at him. She quickly turned away, but Shinji had already seen her. The young boy then slowly proceeded and cut the wrapping around Asuka's arm. He slowly uncoiled it and once it was completely off revealed a completely healed arm.  
  
"There's nothing wrong," he said.  
  
Asuka peered down and gasped. The bandages were still bloody, but there was no sign of a wound.  
  
"Is it internal?" Shinji wondered.  
  
"Well if it's internal there's nothing you can do about it so stop whatever you're doing!" Asuka continued on stubbornly.  
  
Shinji again ignored her and dampened one of the towels. He then placed it on Asuka's arm, causing her to wince.  
  
"Too hot?" he asked.  
  
"No! My arm just really hurts when you touched it!"  
  
"Sorry."  
  
Asuka growled inwardly, but said nothing. He then carefully removed the bandage covering Asuka's eye, not using the scissor as he didn't want to accidentally poke her eye out. With that done Shinji looked into Asuka's eye.  
  
"It looks fine," he said.  
  
Asuka blinked, not feeling any pain in or around her eyes. But when she started to try to look around without turning her head, the eye that had been bandaged suddenly started hurting. She closed her eyes tightly, barely able to keep from screaming.  
  
"Asuka, are you okay?"  
  
"Stop asking me that!" Asuka snapped, "Do I look okay to you?"  
  
"Sorry."  
  
Asuka kept her mouth shut and refrained from shouting at Shinji. That boy could be so dense sometimes! She did her best to keep quiet as Shinji used the warm dampened towel to wipe her face. At times Asuka bit her lip, trying to stay silent, and to her annoyance Shinji noticed. He had tried to apologize but Asuka quickly silenced him. She wasn't in the mood for hearing more apologies. Shinji wrapped Asuka's arm and leg in the towels to keep them comfortable. There wasn't much he could do for her eye so he simply laid a warm towel over it.  
  
"Are you hungry?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Of course I am. Do we actually have any real food?"  
  
"Just some ramen at the moment," Shinji replied, "I'll be getting some more later. I'll warm it up."  
  
Shinji left Asuka on the couch and walked back into the kitchen. He got out some ramen and put them in the microwave. It might not be the best tasting, but at least it was food. Shinji waited for a few minutes before he heard the beep and took out the stuff. He poured water in and brought the two cup-like containers to the living room with chopsticks for him and a fork for Asuka. He placed them on the table and was about to help Asuka get closer to the table when she slid down the couch and sat on the ground. The girl simply would not give in. She took the fork with her left hand as it was still too painful to utilize her right.  
  
Shinji kept an eye on Asuka as he didn't want the redhead to get herself killed just trying to eat. He was also hungry so quickly devoured his meal. Asuka was only halfway done with hers when Shinji got up to throw his container away. He returned and waited patiently as Asuka finished eating. Despite her protests, Shinji took care of the garbage for her. After washing his hands he got his keycard and started towards the door.  
  
"I'm going out to get some more food," he said.  
  
Asuka was about to say something when she suddenly shut her mouth tight. Shinji didn't see her nearly speak so he left the apartment without another word. He descended to the ground floor using the elevator, glad that electricity still ran through this city. But for how long? And they also had to consider the water supply. There was a lot to worry about and Shinji didn't know how long it was before thing started falling apart. For now there was a more immediate problem, like Asuka's wounds.  
  
Shinji looked around the area and realized that one of the entrances to NERV was close by. The NERV infirmary should have some supplies he could use. He started walking towards the entrance when suddenly he froze. Memories of all the blood and the bodies down in the installation surfaced. Did he have the courage to go down there and search through all the carnage?  
  
The young man decided right then and there that he had to go down there for Asuka. She was the only other human left as far as he knew and he wasn't about to let her down. No matter how much she abused him, she still needed him now and that's what counted. But what about later on? Time for that later. They had all the time in the world.  
  
Shinji made his way to the entrance and walked down to the elevator. It plummeted deep within the Earth to NERV headquarters. It was a miracle the thing still worked after all the fighting. When the doors opened, Shinji had expected to see bodies piled up all over the floor. That couldn't be further from the truth. There was no sign of blood, bodies, or any sign of fighting. Bullet marks that should be there were gone, flame marks were missing, and the corridor looked just like it was when Shinji first came here. He stepped out of the elevator just before it closed and started walking.  
  
The infirmary wasn't too hard to find as Shinji remembered where it was from multiple visits. Those memories weren't always pleasant. He found bandages, wrappings and morphine pills in some of the containers in storage, but what looked like it would really be of use was a wheelchair. It was one you had to push, but he could do that for Asuka until she healed. He piled the stuff onto the wheelchair after he had unfolded it and wheeled it out. Shinji then went to the cafeteria and found a lot of canned food. This would have to do until tomorrow. He collected a dozen or so and put them in a bag which was promptly put onto the wheelchair. He then headed back for the surface.  
  
Shinji blinked for a few seconds as his eyes adjusted to the sunlight. He returned to the apartment and walked in.  
  
"What took you so long!" Asuka demanded.  
  
Shinji looked at the clock to see what time it was.  
  
"I've only been gone for half an hour," he said.  
  
"Well next time make it fifteen minutes!"  
  
Shinji wasn't sure why Asuka was so mad at him. It wasn't like she enjoyed his company that much. According to past experience, she should have been glad Shinji had been gone for a while. Unless she just needed something to bitch about, which was nothing new.  
  
For Asuka's part, she was also unsure why she had wanted Shinji to get back sooner. It wasn't like she ever had wanted him around before. She slumped back down onto the couch and pouted. Shinji sighed, not knowing how to reach out to Asuka at times like this. He rolled the wheelchair into the living room, catching Asuka's attention.  
  
"What is that doing here?" she snapped.  
  
"To help you get around," Shinji informed her, "You can't really walk so I got this to help you."  
  
"I don't need help."  
  
Shinji hadn't exactly had a good day and right now he was at the limits of his patience. In reality, Asuka had started wearing it down when she first moved in. At times Shinji liked Asuka, but right now it was plain annoying. If she kept it up, it was likely he would snap then and there. Fortunately for Asuka, she didn't. She simply turned her head away and stayed quiet. Shinji went through the supplies he gathered and put all of the canned stuff in the cabinets. He would have to empty the fridge of all the beer but couldn't right now. It was like throwing away memories of Misato.  
  
Shinji stood in the kitchen for a few minutes, unsure of what to do. Boredom was already starting to surface, though in reality he still needed to make sure they would keep getting running water. He walked out to the balcony and saw the figures that were the MP EVAs. They'd have to do something about those too. There was no way he was going to feel comfortable looking at those monstrosities. They had nearly killed Asuka and apparently were an important part of Third Impact. The details were vague as Shinji hadn't really been paying attention to Misato, but he knew they were dangerous. Maybe there would be a way to get rid of them later.  
  
The young man let out a sigh and leaned against the balcony railing. Just then he heard Asuka screaming for him.  
  
"Shinji! Get back in here!"  
  
He turned and walked back into the living room. Asuka had managed to get into the wheelchair though her face betrayed some signs of pain.  
  
"Take me out to the balcony," she ordered.  
  
Shinji moved behind her and pushed her to the balcony. Asuka didn't seem to be bothered by the dead MP EVAs. She simply looked out into the lake and what was left of Tokyo 3. The head that had been there before seemed to have disappeared. That was certainly a good thing. A small smile appeared on her face as she let the wind blow on her face. It felt a lot better out here in the open air than inside the stuffy apartment.  
  
"Shinji, we should let the air circulate through the apartment for a while," Asuka said.  
  
Shinji didn't argue. It was a good idea and he didn't want Asuka to get mad at him. She needed his help and right now Shinji didn't want her to push him away. The two simply stayed on the balcony, Asuka in her wheelchair and Shinji standing at her side. If there had been anyone left in the world to see them they might have thought the two were a couple. Or at least the two cared for each other. Finally Asuka grew tired and Shinji pushed her back into the apartment. She then had him push her into the bathroom and help her into the tub, still wearing her plugsuit. After getting some clothes for her, Shinji left Asuka to her own devices. It would be tricky, but she should be able to take a bath.  
  
Asuka had some trouble getting washed. She turned on warm water and let it fill the tub, but after that it got tricky. She had gotten out of her plugsuit and thrown it onto the bathroom floor, not an easy task, and right now she was simply trying to relax. There wasn't anything she could do for her hair tonight so she ignored it. She used the soup and got herself clean before draining the tub. Now it got really tricky. Asuka still had trouble standing and a slippery tub made matters worse. She nearly fell several times, having trouble keeping her balance. Her right arm was also basically useless so she couldn't use it to support herself. Fortunately she didn't hurt herself and got onto the wheelchair. She dried herself off and changed into her clothes before calling for Shinji.  
  
For his part, Shinji had been trying to read in the living room. However, he had been worried about how Asuka would manage in there so he didn't get much done. When she called, it was almost a relief. Shinji opened the bathroom door and encountered a mist wall. He blinked and tried to see through it, finding Asuka waiting for him by the tub already dressed and in her wheelchair. He got in and pushed her out to her room. After helping her into bed, Shinji left the room and closed the door.  
  
"Goodnight Asuka," Shinji muttered after he closed the door. Now he needed a bath and sleep.  
  
Asuka slipped off into a dream almost immediately. She found herself walking down a hallway bathed in light. It looked much like one of the cathedrals she had visited in the Vatican, with the many pictures on the windows. These windows were far larger and the images more realistic than what Asuka had ever seen before. She spun around, trying to take in all that was before her. There were no seats like in a church but there were figures gathered all around her. They wore white cloaks and kept their hoods up, hiding their faces and features. Asuka couldn't even tell if they were men or women. She started walking down the hallway, staying in the center and not running into any of the robed people on the sides. Finally the young woman came to a set of doors.  
  
The doors before her were of a glass-like material. They were translucent but refracted the light that came in and out, creating a glow within the doors. Asuka placed a hand on the door and to her surprise they opened. She walked in and her eyes fell upon a staff held up horizontally by two small pillars. The staff was as tall as Asuka herself and had two blades coming out at the ends. This was a weapon, though Asuka didn't know what it was for. Was it symbolic, or was it for killing? She walked up to it and tried to pick it up. When her hand touched the cold metal pain shot through it and she was thrown across the room into a wall. She grunted, feeling the burning sensation in her hand and the pain from her back. She gripped her hand and looked at it. There was no sign of burns but that didn't mean a thing.  
  
Asuka got back up and was startled to see another robed figure appear in front of the staff. The robe, instead of being pure white, had a silver glow to it. The being turned its head towards Asuka, though it was still hidden by the hood.  
  
"You are not the one."  
  
Asuka could clearly hear the voice now. It had a feminine touch to it, so that meant some of the people here were women. Or were all of them women?  
  
"Who are you?" Asuka asked.  
  
"I am the Guardian. You are not the one."  
  
Asuka suddenly felt herself flung out of the chamber and out of wherever the place was. Her eyes snapped up and she shot out of her bed, regretting it immediately. Her arm started hurting like hell and she nursed it as best as she could. Whatever that dream was, it had been intense and Asuka wasn't sure she wanted to relive it again. Asuka looked at the clock and found it was still working. It was seven-thirty in the morning. Where was Shinji?  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Shinji had fallen asleep the moment he pulled the covers over his body. Unfortunately, he had found himself in a massive cavern that seemed to stretch on forever. Much of the cavern floor was covered with what looked like a lake of lava and fire. The platforms that people could use to walk across hovered over the lake and were completely black. There were no guard rails of any sort so Shinji had to be careful if he didn't want to be burnt to a crisp. He started walking down the platform and crossed a bridge onto another one. There were branching platforms that seemed to lead to other places but Shinji ignored them.  
  
He kept on the main path and did his best to ignore the fires that raged around him. For some reason he felt no heat coming from beneath or around him. Finally he came upon an arched doorway. The doorway seemed to lead to nothing as there was a wall behind it. As Shinji walked closer, red energy started flowing through the doorway and a red portal appeared. Studying it, Shinji didn't feel anything wrong. But then again, should this place even exist? He stepped through the portal.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"Shinji!"  
  
Shinji snapped awake and fell off his bed. He scrambled around before realizing where he was.  
  
"Shinji!"  
  
"Coming Asuka!" he replied, getting up and putting the sheets back on his bed.  
  
Shinji left his room and walked into Asuka's, finding her already in her wheelchair. He pushed her out to the dining room and started to prepare breakfast. It wasn't fancy, just toast and some eggs. After the two had finished eating Shinji started to get ready to go out.  
  
"Where are you going?" Asuka demanded.  
  
"To take a look around," Shinji replied, "There has to be some more food around, and maybe some more supplies."  
  
"Not without me."  
  
"But-"  
  
"Don't but me! I'm going!"  
  
"Then, shouldn't you put on something else?"  
  
Asuka realized that the clothes she was wearing probably weren't suited for going out. She looked at Shinji and he got the message. Asuka was pushed back to her room and Shinji helped her put on a sweater and a skirt, though he was lucky not to have his eye popped.  
  
The two left the apartment and walked around with Shinji pushing Asuka around. The redhead made no effort to help, obviously enjoying the treatment she was getting. Shinji looked around and realized that what remained of the city was actually a lot. The downtown districts had been mostly destroyed, but there were many other places that had a lot of stuff. Asuka had apparently fallen in love with some dress in a store and had demanded Shinji get it for her, but he had refused and pushed her right along. That had resulted in her cursing him in German and Japanese for the next ten minutes. Not like that was anything new, but Asuka didn't persist. Shinji was actually glad for that.  
  
They went around the stores and gathered more food before returning to the apartment. It was still some time before lunch so Shinji went to take a nap. Maybe he would have that dream again.  
  
End of Prologue  
  
I've been having some trouble focusing on my other fics so I decided to write this one to get back into the practice. Adaptation will still run, but Project: Omega is effectively dead right now. If I ever update it, it'll be a miracle.  
  
I've done many strange things regarding Shinji, making him Messiah, making him Adam. But I rarely involve Asuka directly in those mystical things. Well, I think it's time. Now I just have to install that Firestorm Generator to make sure no angry fans can try and kill me.  
  
Z98 


	2. Book of Revelation

Why is it that Asuka is so fucking hard to draw? I was sketching her and realized that I'd drawn Cardcaptor Sakura instead!  
  
Recrudesce of Evangelion  
  
Chapter 1: Book of Revelation  
  
Shinji was napping soundly while Asuka read some magazine she had convinced Shinji to get her. He found himself back in that weird dream and one step away from walking into the red gateway. Shinji took a deep breath and stepped through. He felt a strange warmth embrace him as he stepped through. His body was enveloped in the portal and walked out of another portal just like the one he'd gone through. The place looked like a cathedral but red light shined inside, creating a darker feeling. The windows all had a red pentagram embedded near the top with different shades of red and orange lining the rest of it. Shinji walked deeper into this dark cathedral and found a massive pentagram over large a pool of blood. He looked over at the center of the pentagram and saw a sword held up horizontally on a stand.  
  
Shinji stepped onto the pentagram but was suddenly thrown back. He landed on his back several yards away and got the wind knocked out of him. After scrambling back to his feet, he realized there was a man in black robes standing in front of the sword.  
  
"You are not the one," he said.  
  
"Who are you?" Shinji asked.  
  
"I am the Guardian. You are not the one."  
  
Shinji felt a burst of power fly at him trying to throw him out of the chamber. He stood his ground and raised one hand to meet it. The burst hit his hand and seemed to run into a wall. Shinji felt the pressure on his hand but kept pushing back. Finally the burst fell back and hit the man in robes. It struck a red shield before dissipating.  
  
This time the man raised his hand and fire started coiling around it. He flung his arm forward and a stream of fire shot out at Shinji. The young man ducked and avoided the fire but to his amazement the fire seemed to flow his movements, bending down after him. Shinji started running towards the portal with the fire on his trail. He jumped into the red gateway and snapped awake.  
  
Shinji shot up and gave a shout, scaring Asuka and making her jump.  
  
"Don't do that!" Asuka screamed, "You scared the hell out of me!"  
  
"Sorry."  
  
Asuka growled at the apology and returned her attention to the magazine. Shinji stretched and got up from the couch. It wasn't like he was really that tired, it was simply the fact that boredom had finally settled in. Neither he nor Asuka had that many books besides the ones the school issued, and anything Asuka had was usually in German. Shinji decided to search around again. Maybe Misato had something. There was a reluctance to go into the room of their former guardian, but one of them would have to someday. Shinji walked over and opened the door. It looked like any other room in the apartment except for the mess.  
  
Shinji looked around the room and saw that Misato actually had a lot of books. He ran his finger over the bindings and found that most of them were mainly textbooks. There were very few books for pleasure reading. Suddenly, a large book caught Shinji's attention. He walked over and pulled it out.  
  
"The Book," Shinji read out loud.  
  
He opened it and realized that he was holding a bible in his hand. It felt rather strange, holding something that many people considered sacred text. Shinji started flipping over the pages and stopped here and there, reading a line or two. Finally, deciding that this was the only thing worth reading, he exited Misato's room and closed it. Shinji returned to the living room, not noticing Asuka eyeing him as he walked back in. He sat down on the couch and opened the book to a random page and started reading.  
  
Asuka kept peeking at Shinji uncontrollably. She noticed the book he was holding and managed to make out the title. The idiot was reading the bible? Since when did he become religious? Asuka's thoughts then drifted back to that weird dream. She had been in a church and those people in there probably had been nuts or something. Who would wear those white robes? And why hide your faces? They didn't look like any of the religious orders she had learned about. Then again, most of the religious orders nowadays were radicals. People would reach for anything if the situation was desperate enough, and the Second Impact certainly fit the description.  
  
Asuka's stomach chose that moment to start growling. Her face reddened slightly but she couldn't stop it. Her stomach was an involuntary muscle, something even Asuka couldn't control.  
  
"You hungry?" Shinji asked, looking up from the book.  
  
Asuka nodded, only half looking at him. She still tried to maintain a cool distance with Shinji. Shinji got up and laid the book on the table, using a piece of paper to mark his spot. He then proceeded to the kitchen to start cooking. Seconds after he'd left, Asuka literally pounced on the bible and opened it to where Shinji was. It was near the end of the book and Asuka had barely found the page where this part started when Shinji called to her.  
  
"What do you want for lunch?" he asked.  
  
"Just something!" Asuka replied, "I need food!"  
  
Shinji didn't reply but the sound of the stove lighting up was all the answer she needed. Asuka took note of the page number and put the book back where it was. When she was back to her original location, her body started punishing her for her actions. Her arm, back, and legs ached and pained, causing Asuka to start whining softly. She didn't want Shinji to rush over and try to help her, for he couldn't. This was something she needed to do by herself.  
  
The sizzling sound of food being cooked properly was about the only sound in the kitchen. Shinji finished making fried rice and started on some dishes. He hoped that Asuka wouldn't get too impatient waiting, but patience wasn't Asuka's strong point. Shinji finished the vegetable/meat combo and set the table. He returned Asuka to the living room and wheeled her in and placed her next to the table. The two ate the lunch Shinji had cooked up and Asuka put away two servings. The food was very good with the better ingredients and fresh vegetables. One thing Asuka had to admit was that Shinji could cook. It wasn't like she couldn't, it was just that she was too lazy to. Besides, she had Shinji there. Why did she need to do anything since she was technically crippled?  
  
That wasn't exactly a happy thought but Asuka pushed it away. She spooned more food into her mouth and tried to concentrate on eating, not as easy as one would think it to be. Asuka's mind was racing and she couldn't calm herself down. That dream kept replaying in her head. Something was disturbing her about it, but what? It wasn't like any other dream Asuka had ever experienced before. This one was so different. What was that place? And why did she have that dream? Asuka shook her head and finished eating. There was no point to pondering the past.  
  
Shinji cleaned up and wheeled Asuka back into the living room. He then returned to the kitchen to finish washing the dishes, giving Asuka time to look at the bible again. She flipped through the pages. This book had a lot of prophecies regarding the end of the world and the coming of Christ. Asuka was rather surprised that Shinji had found this book. It was an even bigger surprise that Misato had one, though she should have expected it. Misato did wear that cross, something Asuka knew was from Dr. Katsuragi, Misato's father. She continued flipping through the pages and found references to the seals and the two prophets, though since much of it was in kanji it was pretty hard to figure all of it out. It was a pity that this bible wasn't in English, though Shinji would probably be unable to read it if it was.  
  
The turning off of the water alerted Asuka and she put the book back, again regretting having to move so much. Shinji returned and picked up the book. He held it in his hands for several seconds, causing Asuka to wonder about his sanity. Then he looked at her.  
  
"Asuka, if you want to read it you can just ask."  
  
"Don't presume anything about me, Third Child," Asuka replied sharply, "Besides, what makes you think I want to read it?"  
  
"The book was moved."  
  
Asuka swore under her breath. Shinji was rather observant and apparently paid great attention to details.  
  
"So what, are you going to gloat?"  
  
"Why would I?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Because you figured out I wanted to read it, but I can't!"  
  
"I could read it out loud for you," Shinji offered.  
  
Asuka humphed. "Well, if you insist, I'm not going to stop you."  
  
Asuka was looking away and had expected Shinji to start right away, but when the silence continued she looked back at him. Shinji had opened the book again and was reading silently to himself. This was not what she had expected. It was then that Asuka lost her temper.  
  
"Well aren't you going to read it out loud!" she screamed.  
  
Shinji looked up, surprised. "I thought you didn't want me to."  
  
"Look Third Child, get a clue. I'm trying to be subtle but it requires you to have some intelligence and common sense."  
  
"So you do want me to read it?"  
  
Asuka sighed. "I guess you aren't getting the clues. Yes, I want you to read it. Why? Because I need something to entertain me and I'm still having trouble with kanji. So, start reading."  
  
Shinji turned back to the beginning of the book and started reading.  
  
" 'This is a revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him concerning the events that will happen soon. An angel was sent to God's servant John so that John could share the revelation with God's other servants. John faithfully reported the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, everything he saw. God blesses the one who reads this prophecy to the church, and he blesses all who listen to it and obey what it says. For the time is near when these things will happen.' "  
  
Asuka paid close attention to the words and found that they were rather familiar.  
  
"Shinji, what book are you reading?" she asked.  
  
"What do you mean?" Shinji replied, "I'm reading the bible."  
  
"No you idiot. The bible is divided into several books. Which one are you on?"  
  
Shinji peered through several of the pages and found the title.  
  
"Revelation," he said to Asuka.  
  
Asuka nodded, expecting this. Revelation was the last book in the bible and was supposed to predict the ending of the world. A lot of people took it seriously and that was why there had been many protests against NERV because many religious groups believed that the Angels meant humanity no harm. That showed how much they truly knew.  
  
"Do you know what that book is about?" Asuka asked.  
  
Shinji shook his head.  
  
"It's about the end of the world. Well, the bible was certainly proven wrong in this matter."  
  
"Perhaps," Shinji said.  
  
"What? What do you mean perhaps? You saw all that had happened! The world ended because of Third Impact, not because of God!"  
  
"If the world ended, then why are we here?" Shinji asked.  
  
"I'd like to know myself. Why did I get stuck here with you of all people!"  
  
Asuka was simply repeating herself and even she knew it. Shinji chose that time to interrupt her rant.  
  
"Do you want me to keep reading?" he asked.  
  
"Fine," Asuka answered.  
  
Shinji turned back to the book and continued reading for several minutes. To his surprise, Asuka fell asleep and slouched in her wheelchair. Shinji put down the book and walked over to her. Picking her up gently, he deposited her on the couch and covered her with a blanket. This gave Shinji some more time to read the book himself. So, this book was supposed to predict the end of the world? Well, let's see what it had to say about it.  
  
The young man continued to look through the book of Revelation, carefully studying its words. Perhaps there was some comfort to be gained, or some wisdom to be gleaned. There had been many religious references in the things NERV used or did, and then there were the rumors regarding the Dead Sea Scrolls. But what was the answer? Perhaps he could find them.  
  
Asuka was running away from dozens of the white robed figures. They seemed to sweep across the floors without their feet touching the ground. How that was possible Asuka did not know. She ran around another corner and stopped. It was a dead end. The robed figures appeared again and suddenly all of them had lances in their hands. These looked like the staff Asuka had seen in that strange room, though they only had one blade instead of two. The lead figure charged her, swinging its sword at her.  
  
"No!" Asuka screamed.  
  
She threw up her arms in a desperate attempt to save herself. Upon hearing a slashing sound, she opened her eyes and peeked out from behind her arms. The being was on the ground, its sword arm severed and on the ground. The thing clutched what was left of its arm and retreated. Suddenly the other figures in robes parted ways and the one in silver robes walked forward. She took off her hood and Asuka gasped. The woman standing in front of her was beautiful. Her features were perfect, her green eyes sparkling like rubies. Her brown hair also flowed down her back, disappearing into the robe.  
  
"Leave her."  
  
The robed figures bowed and backed away. They somehow disappeared, leaving no trace that they had existed. Even the bloody arm on the ground vanished without a trace. The woman approached Asuka but stopped when Asuka held her hands up again.  
  
"Stay away!" she screamed, "I'm not going to let you kill me!"  
  
"Why would I kill you?" the woman asked.  
  
"Your follower did," Asuka stated, "You saw what I did to him and I can do it to you too."  
  
"I saw what you did," the woman replied, "though how you did it is a mystery even to you."  
  
Asuka froze, knowing the woman spoke truth. Right now she probably couldn't duplicate that feat.  
  
"What do you want?" she demanded.  
  
"Want? I want nothing. I simply would like to know how you came here."  
  
"Who are you?" Asuka asked.  
  
"I am Eve."  
  
Asuka nearly peed in her pants, though actually doing that in real life would have embarrassed her beyond recovery. This woman claimed to be Eve, wife of Adam and mother of humanity, or at least that's what the bible said. NERV had information that apparently proved that to be false. But what the hell was going on?  
  
"What do you want?" Asuka asked again, suspicious of this woman.  
  
"As I said before," Eve replied, "I want to know how you came here."  
  
"I don't even know where here is," Asuka responded.  
  
"Here is the Sanctuary," Eve said, waving her arm. They were suddenly standing in a garden. "The warriors of the Host rest here in between their struggles and battles. Here is where we protect the true Lance of Longinus."  
  
"What? You mean that thing NERV used to kill Angels?" Asuka asked, shuddering slightly from the memory of what Arael did to her.  
  
"Those, like the ones the false champions utilized, were simply replicas that Adam produced. Do you really think we would allow a sacred weapon that was dipped in the blood of the Messiah to fall into the hands of mortals?"  
  
"Mortals? Ha! We defeated the Angels, remember?"  
  
"Yes, you are one of the three, are you not? Perhaps there is a reason as to why you are here. Come."  
  
The location changed again, this time to a meeting chamber. A rectangular table was in the center, surrounded by large comfortable chairs. Eve took a seat at the head and motioned for Asuka to join her. She took the seat on the immediate right of Eve.  
  
"How much do you know about me?" Asuka asked.  
  
"Quite a lot. I've been watching with interest, trying to see which one of you is the person I'm supposed to advise and protect."  
  
"What? You don't know who you're supposed to help?"  
  
"Of course not. There are three potential candidates, and you are merely the second one found. Shinji and Rei are the others."  
  
"But Rei's dead," said Asuka, "Her head's in the lake, remember?"  
  
Asuka shuddered at the thought of the giant head, simply there in the lake.  
  
"Yes, I am well aware of the fact that Rei is absent. However, that means nothing in the long run. But that does eliminate her as a candidate, so it is merely between you and Shinji."  
  
"And what am I to you?" Asuka asked.  
  
"You are nothing right now," Eve replied frankly, "What you must understand is that without you awakening, I do not know what you are and cannot offer assistance of any sort."  
  
"Oh, so me and Shinji are stuck in that hellhole formally known as Earth and you people aren't going to do anything?" Asuka snapped, "Aren't you affiliated with the Host, wouldn't God want you to help his people?"  
  
Eve leaned forward on the table, her green eyes piercing into Asuka's head.  
  
"Just because we are in the service of the Host does not mean we obey him. We obey the Messiah, and until you prove to me that you are indeed the Messiah, then you are nothing."  
  
The straightforwardness of Eve's comments struck Asuka hard. Few people had ever dared to talk to her like this and she didn't like it. Asuka was about to explode again when suddenly another robed figure appeared next to Eve. It whispered something to Eve and she nodded, dismissing the being. It shimmered and disappeared from the room.  
  
"I suggest you return to your world now," Eve said to her, "Perhaps we shall converse another time."  
  
Asuka wasn't sure what was happening but all of a sudden she was out of the room and on a couch with blankets covering her. She looked around and saw Shinji sitting on the other couch, still reading the bible. He noticed that she had awakened and put it down again. Asuka had lost count how many times he had done that once he'd started reading.  
  
"How was your nap?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Fine," Asuka replied.  
  
"I'm going out to look around the city some more. Want to come?"  
  
"Yeah sure, why not."  
  
She was pushed back into her room, changed without Shinji getting injured, and then pushed outside.  
  
"Third Child, I think we should get one of those motor wheelchairs."  
  
Shinji was too out of breath to answer so he simply nodded his agreement. After resting for several seconds Shinji started pushing Asuka down towards NERV. The infirmary should have one and there were several other things Shinji wanted to take care of too. They descended down into NERV, but glad that at least the elevators still worked. The power, again, was still on and the first place they stopped was the infirmary. It was there that they managed to find some motor wheelchairs. After trying out several, Asuka made her selection and started rolling down the hallway.  
  
"Hold it," Shinji shouted, "I still have to check out a few things."  
  
Asuka came to a halt and turned around.  
  
"What else is there to see down here?" she asked.  
  
"NERV ran a lot of secret projects that none of us knew about," Shinji answered, "I want to know what they were really up to."  
  
"But why? NERV is finished and we have more important things to do. I mean, we do have to make sure we keep getting running water and food. Those things are more important."  
  
"But what if we could bring everyone back?" Shinji countered, "That would be worth it."  
  
Asuka opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. She didn't really have anything against that, she realized. After giving Shinji a deadly glare, she rolled aside and waited for him to start moving. Apparently Shinji had realized why Asuka was mad at him and smiled at her. This only made her madder, but she refrained from insulting him. For now, she still needed his help in certain matters.  
  
They walked through the many hallways and corridors and finally reached Central Dogma and the main office. The three supercomputers of the MAGI were all up for some reason. Shinji approached the one called Casper and found that an access panel had been opened. He crawled inside and disappeared, much to Asuka's annoyance. After a few seconds he emerged, dragging a laptop and many wires out with him.  
  
"Someone left this in here," he said, "I think they didn't have enough time to remove it when the attack started."  
  
"Oh just great. That thing is going to reveal everything," Asuka said sarcastically.  
  
"Actually, it might," Shinji said, catching Asuka by surprise. "Someone set up a backdoor to the MAGI and I can access all of the files."  
  
"Let me see that!" Asuka demanded.  
  
She rolled over and leaned against the side of the wheelchair to get a better view. Shinji was bringing up files about the Evangelions. Most of the data on their design schematics were too complicated for either of them to understand, but apparently they truly were biomechanical combat units. Their body was like a massive organism, all with artificially grown muscles, skeletons, and a complex nervous system, or at least it seemed to be. Shinji dug deeper and found some of the more classified stuff. Apparently the nervous system also had a lot of computer circuitry running through it, enhancing reaction time and the amount of information that could be transferred from the brain to the rest of the body, including the entry plug.  
  
"Look at this," Shinji said, pointing at a dot in the center of the EVA. "This looks like a core."  
  
"An Angel core? What the hell are the EVAs?"  
  
"Tools for starting the Third Impact," Shinji answered, "but there has to be more. How could they have created the EVAs? There was no way humanity discovered this by accident. But where is it?"  
  
He started searching through more files, most of them simply statistical data. Asuka remained at his side, but she started to get bored. Finally she had it and started moving away. Shinji's head shot up at the sound of the motor.  
  
"Where are you going?" he asked.  
  
"I'm going to get another laptop and networking with yours," Asuka said as she moved away. "This is boring as hell and I need to do something. Might as well help you since you're so lost."  
  
Shinji allowed a faint smile to appear on his face. Asuka seemed changed. She was actually volunteering to help him, though she did insult him in the process. Ah well, Asuka would always be Asuka.  
  
Finding another laptop wasn't a serious problem. Asuka returned several minutes later with the cable and computer and hooked them up. She then proceeded to hook up her laptop to one of the consoles. Once done, she was able to use both to access information from the MAGI.  
  
"Now this is much faster," Asuka said.  
  
She typed in a search for information regarding the EVA series and soon found herself overwhelmed with information. Their designs she sent to Shinji for him to look over while the other mathematical stuff she examined herself. The stuff was incredibly complicated and much of it was beyond her. She moved past those and started looking at some kind of design. Apparently this pattern was the key to initiating Third Impact, though the amount of energy required to create and sustain it was astronomical. Then a thought occurred to Asuka. She quickly calculated how much total power an S2 organ could produce and then multiplied that by nine. From her calculations, they would just reach the necessary energy levels. There were also nine spots in the pattern, where she presumed the EVA series would be positioned.  
  
Asuka smiled to herself, proud of her accomplishment.  
  
"Shinji, I found something."  
  
Shinji set his laptop down and walked over to Asuka. He looked over her shoulder and waited for an explanation.  
  
"I think I know why the EVA series was so important," Asuka said, "You see, they needed to create this pattern out of solid light in order to cause some kind of chain reaction with all sentient beings on Earth. Well, that would have required a tremendous amount of power and the only way they could have gotten it was to use S2 organs. That was why they utilized the MP EVAs."  
  
"But there has to be more," said Shinji, "They could have easily just built the S2 engines and then used a plane or something to get them into position."  
  
"I think there is more," said Asuka, "The MP EVAs were different from ours, or at least mine. A lot different."  
  
She brought up an image that showed one of the MP EVAs while it was undergoing construction. It showed what looked like tubes connected to the massive creature as muscle tissue was being grafted onto its bones.  
  
"I'm not sure I see a difference," Shinji said, "though that is kind of weird."  
  
"Idiot. Look at this."  
  
Asuka placed her finger over some kind of writing on the image and Shinji leaned forward to get a better look, annoying Asuka as he made contact with her. He squinted his eyes and finally saw it.  
  
"Lilith," he said.  
  
"Right. From what I saw from the designs of Unit 02, they kept referring to Adam. I don't know about the other ones though. Maybe one of the other EVA units also have something to do with Lilith, but that's a wild guess."  
  
"Just a sec," Shinji said.  
  
He accessed another file and the name of all of the Angels appeared. Lilith was the second one on there. Asuka nodded.  
  
"Makes sense. The EVAs are built from the Angels, though why the hell they were playing around with something so dangerous is beyond me. They're even dumber than you are sometimes."  
  
Shinji ignored the jab as he had done many times before. He merely stared at the screen, unsure what to make of this new information. He returned to his laptop and continued his own search. It didn't take long to find it.  
  
Ikari, Yui-Director of Project Evangelion. Affiliation, Seele, NERV, Gehirn.  
  
Former head of research department on biomechanical combat unit Evangelion. Designed and engineered construction of EVA unit 01.  
  
"Mother."  
  
"What're you looking at?"  
  
Shinji's head snapped up and he found Asuka looking at the picture on the file.  
  
"Is that Rei's mother?" she asked.  
  
Shinji looked closer and realized that the two did look similar. Well, that was to be expected.  
  
"No. She's my mother."  
  
"Oh," Asuka said softly.  
  
She looked at the picture closely and realized that the woman's eyes were just like Shinji's. Though she did look like Rei. Were those two related? Asuka saw that Shinji had remained silent and took this as a sign that he was uncomfortable about this. This was something she could understand and rolled back to her console. This topic was too sensitive even for her to poke fun at. Then a thought came to her. Asuka typed in a search and found her own mother's file.  
  
Soryu, Kyoko Zeppelin-Director of Project Evangelion: German Branch. Affiliation: Gehirn.  
  
Former head of research department on biomechanical combat unit Evangelion, German Branch. Designed and engineered construction of EVA unit 02.  
  
The information on her own mother was rather sketchy, much to her disappointment. One would think that NERV kept more information on its employees. Asuka tried digging deeper and found several layers of security. To her surprise, they all unlocked themselves. Whoever had been accessing the MAGI apparently was either very important or had hacked a backdoor into the system, not exactly easy. As Asuka read on, she became more and more disturbed. Apparently her mother had undergone a synchronization test while Unit 02 was still undergoing construction and something went wrong. While she did know something of this, actually reading the official report made it seem more real.  
  
The people there had no idea what had happened and after she came out she had become mentally crippled. But there were other theories too, like somehow she'd lost herself in the EVA and never fully returned. Asuka remembered when Shinji had been absorbed into Unit 01. Had something like that happened with her mother? Was she still in Unit 02? No, they'd retrieved her. But then again, she'd never been the same even before she committed suicide. Asuka shook head, trying to driver those thoughts out of her mind. Though she'd come to accept the past thanks to Unit 02, she still was slightly afraid of it. Reading all this stuff didn't help either. She forced herself to keep going, if only to try to understand why her mother had gone insane. She still loved her, but something had happened and Asuka was determined to find out what.  
  
Shinji had stopped looking for information on his mother. Instead he was focusing on the Third Impact. There'd be time to look for answers to his personal problems later. In a way this was another way for him to run away, though this time it seemed as if he had a real reason to. The truth was within his grasp but there was something else out there that would help him get to the final truth that he wanted. And thus he kept searching. More and more information piled up on the Third Impact, the possible effects, the contingencies that would be carried out if this attempt failed, as well as how the MP EVAs would be used to carry out the original plan. However, one thing was for sure. Lilith was the key to everything. It was the second Angel that was the key to the human Third Impact. Adam was the key to the Angel Third Impact. There was more to it than that though. People had kept manipulating these events to get what they wanted and it wasn't even Seele's plan to create a perfect being. It was his mother's.  
  
It is very difficult to accept that your own mother could have been a monster, someone willing to wipe out all of humanity just because it had come to an evolutionary standstill. But in truth, that was what this information was telling him. His own mother had come up with the scenario that Seele had followed, though her husband was the one that finished it. Shinji felt sick. Both his parents had had a role in bringing an end to all that made humanity what it was. With no suffering, there would also be no happiness. One would think that Yui Ikari would have understood that. But why? Why had she done this?  
  
Shinji pried deeper and found himself nearly overwhelmed with everything that the Third Impact involved. Most of the information was meaningless to him except for one item. Unit 01.  
  
"What do we have here?" he muttered to himself. "Oh my god."  
  
Lilith. That one word started a chain reaction within Shinji's mind. It all made sense now, why his father wanted to ensure that Unit 01 survived at all costs. But Asuka said that Unit 02 had something to do with Adam. What about Unit 00? He accessed the designs and quickly found his objective. Adam. So Unit 00 and 02 were associated with Adam somehow while Unit 01 and the MP EVAs were associated with Lilith. Was that the only difference? No, there had to be more. The MP EVAs were like Unit 01, but they weren't identical. If they were, Unit 01 would have been expendable and for some reason everyone thought it was too valuable to lose.  
  
Both Children were getting tired at looking all of the data so Shinji and Asuka downloaded most of the files onto their laptops and left. Shinji ended up carrying both laptops even though Asuka didn't even have to walk. Her excuse was that they'd hurt her lap since she was still aching all over. Shinji didn't bother trying to convince her otherwise for two reasons; one, she might be telling the truth, two, she would bite his head off if he started arguing with her.  
  
They came out of the Geofront and went back to the apartment. Shinji started dinner while Asuka continued reading the files, not because she wanted to but because she had nothing better to do at the moment. After about ten minutes Asuka rolled into the dining room and enjoyed a very tasty dinner.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Shinji laid down on the bed and pulled the cover over himself. Thoughts of the day's events ran through his head, the information about the MP EVAs and Third Impact, things about his mother and Seele. But was it all worth it? Was it even possible to reverse the events of Third Impact? If it was, would it be possible for two teenagers to pull it off? The world was full of uncertainties, that he was sure of.  
  
He didn't know when he'd fallen asleep, but he was now back in that weird dream. But this time, it was a nightmare. Large creatures had pulled themselves out of the lava lake somehow, creatures that looked like massive reptiles but also slightly insectoid. They moved across the platform using four massive legs, each one with a large claw on the end. Their heads were like that of the ancient dinosaurs, though a bit flatter. The creatures roared a hideous sound before charging. As they got closer, Shinji could see that them in far greater clarity. Their main body was actually broken up into two parts attached by the torso. One suddenly stood up on its two hind legs and roared again, causing Shinji to jump back.  
  
At this point he started running. He sped across the bridge and barely avoided getting skewed by two of the things. Three other monsters blocked the entrance to the next bridge but he had no choice but continue to run. A look of concentration was on his face as he dashed towards the bridge.  
  
"A leap of faith," Shinji said to himself.  
  
He jumped and suddenly flew right across the monsters and landed on the platform across the bridge. It was a surprise that he even made it across, and a greater one he didn't simply trip on the landing. The moment his feet touched the ground, Shinji was ready to go again. However, this time the creatures were charging at him.  
  
Shinji didn't know what the hell he was going to do against these things. Suddenly his entire body started emitting a dark blue aura. Not knowing what it meant, he charged at the lead creature, screaming like a madman. Executing a karate chop, Shinji was shocked to see his hand cut right through the creature's claw and slice into the thing's head. It screamed in pain and fell, dead. Shinji jumped back, ready to continue the fight. However, for some reason, the monsters backed away and the glow around his body dissipated.  
  
The man that had tried to kill him before shimmered into existence a few feet away from Shinji. The young man quickly assumed a combat stance, though how effective it would be without the aura was questionable. To his surprise, the man knelt before Shinji.  
  
"Hail to you, my lord."  
  
A suspicious and surprised look was on Shinji's face. What was this man trying to pull? He didn't relax and stayed in the stance.  
  
The man got up and, seeing Shinji still ready to attack, tried to soothe him.  
  
"I apologize on the attempt to attack you, my lord," he said, "I had mistaken you for someone else, someone who threatens us."  
  
"And why should I believe you?" Shinji replied.  
  
"Because I am your servant. Ask me of something and I shall answer."  
  
"What is your name?"  
  
"I have many. To the Jews I was known as Abaddon, to the Greeks I am Apollyon."  
  
"The Destroyer," Shinji said in surprise.  
  
"That is what your people would call me," Apollyon said.  
  
"And you're also a servant of Satan. Why should I believe you?"  
  
"I am no servant of Satan. I am the advisor and servant of the Antichrist. Please do not make such a mistake again."  
  
Shinji was stunned. This man had said that he was Shinji's servant, but also said that he was the servant of the Antichrist. Did that mean he was the Antichrist? No, that was impossible!  
  
"I'm not who you say I am," Shinji said defiantly.  
  
"Your memories have faded with the passing of time," Apollyon said, "I do not doubt that you remember nothing. However, you are who you are and there is no running away from that."  
  
Shinji's eyes narrowed dangerously. Only two other things could get him as angry as he was now, saying he was like his father, or someone insulting his mother. It could be said that this being had done the former, but even Shinji knew that his father wasn't the Antichrist, though he was close. The Antichrist was much worse.  
  
"You can't run away from destiny," Apollyon said, "It is your destiny to rule."  
  
"Perhaps," Shinji replied, "but as the Antichrist I would be destroying all that I love. That is one thing I cannot do."  
  
Suddenly Shinji felt as if he was ripped from that location. He found himself back in his bed, slightly woozy and aching all over. Was the dream real? Maybe. But he hoped that it was not.  
  
End of Chapter 1  
  
Finally figured out the trick in drawing Asuka. If you screw up her eyes, then you're dead. Eyes and hair are the two most important distinguishing parts of an anime character and I finally got it down. Kind of.  
  
All of my stories are kind of moving along slowly. I'm almost done with Scenario 10 of Adaptation, I just need some way to conclude the chapter. Unfortunately, motivation for that story is starting to get drained. I've already finished three chapters of my Starcraft story but hopefully I'll finish Scenario 10 soon.  
  
Z98 


	3. Honor and Courage

All of you who are trying to guess what's going to happen, just stop and read.  
  
Recrudesce of Evangelion  
  
Chapter 2: Honor and Courage  
  
Shinji had already finished cooking breakfast when Asuka came out of her room. Her body had stopped hurting so she had decided to forgo the wheelchair. When he saw her, Shinji almost panicked.  
  
"Good morning."  
  
"Asuka! Are you sure you're well enough to walk about?"  
  
"You're not my father," Asuka replied, though not as sharply as usual. "I'm fine. So how about greeting me back?"  
  
"Good morning Asuka."  
  
For some reason there had been a change in Shinji's tone. He seemed more subdued, which was pretty hard to accomplish considering Shinji's attitude towards life.  
  
"What's for breakfast?"  
  
"Same as usual. I'm going out today to try to get some more food."  
  
Asuka nodded and took her seat. She ate the food placed before her and kept quiet for most of the meal. Shinji didn't try to make any conversation either, though he kept glancing at her with a worried look in his eye. For some reason Asuka started feeling uneasy. It wasn't as if Shinji had changed on the outside. But when the shadows were on him just right, Asuka swore she saw someone else. Was that a good thing?  
  
"Asuka?"  
  
Asuka lost her train of thought and blinked.  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Are you listening?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Oh, yeah. What were you saying?"  
  
"I said maybe you should use the wheelchair for long trips into the city," Shinji repeated, "Around the house you can walk around to get your muscles working properly again."  
  
"Well, since I see nothing wrong with that, I'll go along with it. But don't think this means you can order me around."  
  
"Of course not."  
  
Narrowing her eyes, Asuka studied Shinji carefully. Something was eating at him but she had no idea what. Was it because he had choked her? Granted she'd probably had it coming after this long but he had seemed fine yesterday. So what had changed? What could have happened overnight? Thoughts of the dream drifted into Asuka's head. Was that it? Was Shinji dreaming too? No, that couldn't be. That would be way too easy.  
  
Shinji finished washing the dishes and pulled out the motorized wheelchair for Asuka. She got on and the two went outside again.  
  
"Hey Shinji, why don't we have some fun today?" Asuka suggested, "I mean, the past two days or so haven't exactly been that relaxing for either of us. We need to unwind some."  
  
"What? Well, I guess there's no harm in it."  
  
"Good. Let's go to that ice cream place then."  
  
"Hey wait! We can't steal!"  
  
"Shinji, ice cream is also food. Just come with me and stop complaining about stealing for once, okay? I promise not to steal clothes or anything like that. Does that satisfy you?"  
  
"But, it feels wrong."  
  
"Shinji, sometimes you let go of your feelings, and sometimes you follow them. This time, just trust me and follow. Okay?"  
  
Reluctantly nodding his head, Shinji found himself several minutes later in an ice cream parlor making Asuka a Sunday.  
  
"Remember Shinji! With a cherry on top!"  
  
"I know!"  
  
Shinji came out a few seconds later and handed Asuka the Sunday. She took the spoon and started slurping it, enjoying every bite. Shinji simply sat there and watched her. He had nothing to say but many things to think about. What was he going to do? Was he really the Antichrist? It certainly seemed unlikely if not outright impossible. But that man, Apollyon, had seemed sure and had asked what his orders were. Or that person was trying to trick him. But why? That question kept popping him. Why him? Why Asuka? Why were they the only ones on Earth? There had to be some way around all this. If only he could find a way to bring the rest of humanity back to Earth.  
  
"Hey, earth to Shinji."  
  
"Huh? What?"  
  
"Now who's spacing out? I asked if you wanted something."  
  
"Oh, no."  
  
"You're such a boring boy," Asuka whined, "Come on! We have an entire city to ourselves! And don't tell me you're trying to figure out a way to reverse Third Impact."  
  
"Why not?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Because if you keep worrying you'll get nothing done. Unwind some! Okay, I'm not going to get anywhere with this approach. Let's make a deal, Third Child. If you have fun with me today, tomorrow we'll continue looking for a way to reverse Third Impact. And the day after that we'll work on making sure we keep getting power and water. How's that sound?"  
  
"Fine," Shinji said, letting in.  
  
"Good. And if you don't get rid of that lousy mood you won't be having any fun."  
  
After Asuka had finished her Sunday the two left and headed towards some place Asuka thought Shinji might like. Shinji walked and Asuka rode through the remaining districts and came to a large park. They strolled through it, taking in the scenes. Despite himself, Shinji started to relax. Finally he started getting tired so he sat down on a bench. The morning drifted away and they spent most of their time walking in the park, making small talk. Neither tried to ask about the other's past but instead they talked about their interest. For once, the two were having a polite conversation without any danger of Asuka turning it into an argument. It was actually nice and Shinji enjoyed the sound of Asuka's voice, so carefree. He tried to push away his worries and managed to succeed for the morning.  
  
The two stopped at a café and Shinji made burgers for them. When he returned Asuka started giggling.  
  
"If someone besides us were actually here they'd think we were on a date," she joked.  
  
Shinji's face reddened as he realized what Asuka was implying.  
  
"Umm, well, this isn't really a date, you know."  
  
"Hmm. One would think you'd take some initiative," Asuka responded, "Sit down and eat, Shinji. We still have more places to go."  
  
"Ah, okay."  
  
"You know something, you haven't apologized at all today, and it's kind of refreshing. Keep it up and I might reward you."  
  
Something was definitely wrong here. Not only was Asuka being nice to him, she was also flirting with him, in a way. What had happened to her?  
  
"Asuka, are you sure you're feeling okay?"  
  
"What? Why?"  
  
"Well, you're usually not so, umm." At a lost for words, Shinji decided to stop before she started pounding him.  
  
"Nice to you? Oh, I suddenly decide to be nice to you and you think it's weird? Well, maybe I should start insulting you again! Idiot!"  
  
"No! I mean, I, well, I'm not used to it. I didn't really mean anything, I was just curious."  
  
"Humph. Well, be less curious in the future. Now, eat up. We've gone through the peaceful stuff. It's time to go do something I like."  
  
Shinji took a bite into his burger and found that it was good. A lot better than he'd expected. Since he had been raised in Japan, he'd learned from his elders that American food was too greasy and tasted bad. When he arrived in Tokyo 3, American food was a relief from the stuff Misato made. Still, it was a rare treat to eat at a McDonald's, though how that company survived Second Impact was nothing short of a miracle. He finished his lunch and followed Asuka as they went to a large store.  
  
"Umm, what's this place for?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Well, since you won't let me get any clothes, I'm going to do the next best thing. Try them on and tempt you!"  
  
Shinji swallowed. This was going to be one hell of a day.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Shadows swarmed from all over to this single spot. They had traveled across the world, awakening when humanity had begun its ascension. They were the left behind, the bitter, the ones that should have died and yet did not. They had one goal, one single purpose in their existence. Prepare the way for their master, and then serve with all their abilities and lives.  
  
A massive standard was raised. The standard was blood red with a black upside down cross etched in its center. Slowly the pole that held the standard rose as the citadel started to take shape. Bricks, steel, and other construction material broke off of the buildings and flew to the citadel. The framework was slowly placed and construction began. Once their master awakened, the citadel would be ready.  
  
And thus, Babylon arose again to greatness.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"Umm, Asuka, are you sure you need to wear that?" Shinji asked nervously.  
  
Said girl was currently posing in front of Shinji in a two-piece swimsuit, a little skimpier than her previous one.  
  
"Of course I don't have to, but you're so fun to tease! So, what do you think?"  
  
"Umm, beautiful as ever?"  
  
"At least you have decent taste. So, what do you think?"  
  
Asuka leaned forward a little to give Shinji a better view of her assets. Though she normally would have called him a pervert for even glancing at them, this time she was having too much fun.  
  
"A-Asuka, are you sure you need to do that?"  
  
"Such a boring little boy," Asuka repeated, "Why don't you take a risk and live life? After all you've been through, one would think you learned at least that."  
  
"I guess I haven't been trying to learn. But if I died, it would be kind of like wasted effort."  
  
Asuka bopped him on the head.  
  
"Shinji, wake up. This is post-Third Impact. While I still don't know why I'm stuck with you I'm at least trying to make the best of it. Don't ruin my effort, or you may start regretting it, okay?"  
  
Asuka had said it sweetly but Shinji sensed the tension underlying it. He nodded complacently.  
  
"Good. Now, what should I try on next?"  
  
"Asuka, shouldn't we get dinner?"  
  
"Oh? It's that late already? Well, why not."  
  
Suddenly Asuka's stomach growled. She glared down at it, as if it had betrayed her.  
  
"Fine. Should we go home?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
They went home, Shinji loaded down by some fresh food they'd gotten while Asuka carried a light load. By the time they were through the door and into the apartment, Shinji was exhausted.  
  
"I'll cook tonight," Asuka stated, "You get some rest. I don't want to eat burnt food just because you were tired and didn't notice it catching on fire."  
  
The young man was just glad for a chance to sit down. He was sweating from the walk and so he took a shower before the meal. The hot water felt nice, but it was cut off as Asuka had finished dinner. Shinji came out wearing a blue shirt and gray shorts. Asuka had made quite a spread and this might be the first time they'd actually have leftovers. The two took their seats and ate, enjoying their meal. Again, the meal was silent, but neither was bothered by it. This gave both of them time to think. All the worry that Shinji had pushed away started surfacing again. He tried to ignore them and eat, but they kept returning. Finally, he finished and took care of the dishes. Just as he was about to plop down on the couch Asuka called to him.  
  
"Shinji! Get over here!"  
  
He walked out onto the balcony and saw Asuka leaning against the railing, looking into the horizon. The sun was setting and a beautiful glow lit the sky. Orange and red colors seemed to flow across the sky and bounce off of the clouds, keeping the evening alight for one final act. The sun slowly went below the skyline and Shinji couldn't help but smile.  
  
"That was beautiful," he said, once the sun was gone and darkness had settled on the world.  
  
"How beautiful?" Asuka asked.  
  
Shinji thought about it for a few seconds. Finally he came up with an answer.  
  
"As beautiful as you."  
  
Asuka sniffed. "Don't expect to get anywhere with flattery, Mr. Ikari, especially if it's not true. I'm much more beautiful as that sunset!"  
  
Shinji smiled as he looked upon Asuka. With the twilight upon her, she certainly was. Asuka noticed him staring at her and glared a little, but had trouble keeping her face straight. She suddenly burst out into laughter and went back inside. Shinji, himself surprised at her sudden breakdown of composure, followed her.  
  
"I'm going to take a shower now," Asuka said, "Don't peak. Be a good boy and get some sleep. Tomorrow we have work to do."  
  
Shinji smiled and went to bed, exhausted. Overall, today had been a great day. Tomorrow, he was sure they'd get some work done.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Shinji found himself standing in a massive plaza, the stone covering completely black. Actually, all of the buildings and walls were black. There was a massive tower at the center, like an obelisk but more structured. It didn't go up and then end in a point, it went up in segments. Also, the thing was gigantic.  
  
"Welcome to your citadel, master."  
  
Shinji spun around and saw Apollyon standing a few feet away.  
  
"You. What the hell am I doing here?"  
  
Apollyon held his arms open, as if to say why are you asking me.  
  
"This is your citadel. True, it has only been partially completed, but one would think this was the greatest city in the world."  
  
"I'm not who you think I am," Shinji said in a dangerously low voice.  
  
"It is you who does not know who you are," Apollyon shot back, "Think, my lord. Think and consider. How else would you have even reached the first level of Hell without dying, without being a servant or a damned soul? You came because you are the master. It is your destiny to break humanity and rule. It is your destiny to destroy the Heavens and bring the Host to its knees."  
  
"No. I'll never do that."  
  
"You must, for fate chose you for this task."  
  
There was such conviction in Apollyon's voice that Shinji had trouble doubting him. But a part of him kept on fighting all that Apollyon had said. There was no way he'd turn on his friends and family. No way he'd destroy all that he loved and cherished. He was not the Antichrist.  
  
"I will never enslave humanity," Shinji said, strength returning to his voice. "I will not. Do you hear me!"  
  
Shinji's hands tightened into a fist. Sonic waves rippled through the air as his voice boomed. They struck Apollyon and threw him across the plaza, knocking him against one of the black walls. A crack sounded and Apollyon fell to the ground, shaken by the display of power. The crack above him disappeared as the shadows repaired the damage. He looked at Shinji but said nothing. A second later he shimmered and disappeared.  
  
Shinji took a deep breath and tried to focus. Apollyon was wrong. He was not the Antichrist. He'd never hurt anyone he loved.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
For the first time since returning to Earth, Asuka had an undisturbed night of sleep. She rolled over as her body rested, undisturbed by any dreams, good or bad. A serene smile was on her face, as Asuka slept on completely unaware of the turmoil that was developing in the room next to hers.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"Apollyon! Come out and show yourself!" Shinji screamed as he raged through the city.  
  
There was no reply as he walked around the citadel. Perhaps that last outburst had frightened him, but Shinji doubted a small display like that could scare a man known as the Destroyer. He stalked around the plaza and found dozens of statues decorating the place. The city by itself was stupendous but every aspect of it showed the darkness. The black color over everything made the place forbidding while the various statues of monsters and demons did not reassure him at all. Right now, despite his nature, Shinji wished he had a weapon.  
  
Apollyon shimmered and stood before Shinji, still cloaked in the black robe.  
  
"You called, my lord."  
  
"I have been calling for a while," Shinji responded, "Why have you been avoiding me?"  
  
"You needed time to think," Apollyon answered.  
  
"I had time to think. I am not the Antichrist. Stop bothering me with this! I am not your master! Find someone else to worship!"  
  
"It is not my decision who is the Antichrist," Apollyon persisted, "I merely do as I am bidden. Whoever is the Antichrist is my master, and you are my master."  
  
"Damn you Apollyon, damn you for eternity!"  
  
This time Shinji's eyes lit up with fury and blue light shone out. An intense blaze shot out at Apollyon, blasting him across the plaza and out of the city proper. After the light had receded, Shinji fell to his knees, panting. All that power, it had nearly overwhelmed him. What was he? How was he doing all this?  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Asuka had watched Shinji all morning and on their little trip back to the Geofront. He'd been extremely tense and had spoken little, even though she herself had tried to open him up. Something was eating at him again and he was working like a maniac now. So far Asuka had seen him go through dozens of files on Units 01 and 05-13. It was very likely he'd just become an expert on them even without understanding any of the technical aspects. She herself was having trouble understanding how exactly Unit 02 worked. What had been so clear before was now so muddled. No surprise there. Before, she had known very little so there wasn't that much to truly understand. Now, with all this new stuff thrown in, it complicated matters.  
  
Yawning, Asuka tried to keep her eyes open. It was getting harder and harder to concentrate on this. Slowly, the pilot drifted off to sleep.  
  
She seemed to float in thin air, her eyes closed and her body limp. Asuka's mind was silent as her form slowly made its journey. The realm that she was traveling through was beautiful, and yet the traveler was not awake to enjoy it. Lights spiraled around her, coming into and out of existence. Finally everything seemed to collapse and Asuka fell to the earth. As she got closer, her descent slowed. By the time she had reached the ground, she was at a complete stop. When her back came into contact with the soft bed, Asuka's eyes opened. She got up and looked around. Again she was among the white robed figures.  
  
"Not again," Asuka muttered.  
  
She got up and walked around, wondering where Eve was. None of the others looked like they could offer her any answers so she didn't even try to talk to them. Suddenly a breeze hit her from behind. Asuka spun around and saw Eve standing behind her.  
  
"Oh, there you are. Why am I back?" Asuka demanded.  
  
"You are back because you are in search of answers," said Eve, "though how you managed to return is beyond me."  
  
"Look, I don't have time for your cryptic messages. Just tell it to me plain and simple. Why shouldn't I be here?"  
  
"Because you are not the one."  
  
"Not the Messiah?" Asuka concluded, her arms crossed.  
  
"Correct."  
  
"Well no duh! I'm hardly a good Samaritan. And I don't need answers so if you'll tell me how I'm supposed to get out of here I'll gladly go."  
  
"If I knew how to keep you out I would have done so already," said Eve, "You are somehow piercing the barrier between your world and this plane. I suggest you learn how to control your dreams better."  
  
"I'm sleeping?" Asuka said, "Well, good. That idiot should wake me up soon."  
  
Eve's eyebrow rose slightly. "Why do you persist in calling him an idiot?"  
  
"Shinji? Because he is, that's why! Why should you care?"  
  
Asuka's current posture showed just how much she cared about Eve, though for some reason the young pilot didn't do anything to insult Eve openly. One reason was fear and the other was curiosity. Like how she was even getting here.  
  
"You are struggling to understand your own feelings regarding the Third Child. Why don't you just tell him already?"  
  
"Tell him what? He already knows how I feel about him!"  
  
Eve chuckled and started walking. Her step was light and graceful, as if she had all the answers to all the problems in the world.  
  
"Hey, hold it!"  
  
Asuka started running and caught up with Eve. The two didn't talk to each other, they simply walked. Finally Asuka ran out of patience two minutes later.  
  
"Okay, spill. What do you know about me and Shinji?"  
  
"I know you care deeply for him," Even answered, "I know that the two of you share many commonalities and that if the two of you had met under different circumstances the two of you would have fallen in love."  
  
"Me? Love him! Get real, whoever you are. You say you're Eve, but even Eve doesn't have the power to see things like that."  
  
"Are you sure? Shinji is a fine young man and is strong. He is currently fighting a battle within himself that if he loses, could very well mean the conclusion of Third Impact and end humanity for good."  
  
"What? What are you talking about? There's nothing wrong with him," Asuka persisted.  
  
"You have not noticed the stress he seems to be experiencing? I'm disappointed in you, Second Child. The only reason he hasn't lost yet is because of you, though even he doesn't know that. Are you going to help him?"  
  
"Shinji doesn't need my help. He's invincible. Not even an Angel could stop him. Humph! He's a glory-hog!"  
  
"Don't justify your own faults because of the success of others. It's unbecoming of you."  
  
"What? What did you say!" Asuka screamed, furious. She almost moved to slap Eve but something held her back. She didn't know what it was, but waited for Eve to continue.  
  
"Asuka, listen to yourself. Bury your pride and just listen. Ignore everything about trying to beat Shinji. Maybe you'll learn something." Eve paused for a second, as if realizing something. Then she continued. "I think it's time you left."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Before she knew what was going on, Asuka felt herself being shaken.  
  
"Asuka, wake up."  
  
"Huh? What? Oh, sorry Shinji."  
  
"It's okay. Didn't get much sleep?"  
  
"No, it's all this lousy information. I can't make heads or tails out of it and it's so boring it's putting me to sleep!" Asuka ranted.  
  
A brief smile appeared on Shinji's face but it disappeared quickly.  
  
"Well, if you don't want to look over this you don't have to. I can take care of it myself."  
  
"Oh no you don't Third Child, you're not going to get all the credit for ending Third Impact," Asuka said defiantly, "I'm going to help and that's that."  
  
The smile returned, but again it was very brief. This time Asuka knew she wasn't imagining it. Something was eating away at Shinji. Was Eve right? No, that was preposterous! Why would Shinji care for her? And yet he had. Damn it, stop thinking like this! Asuka shook off the feeling and went back to work, going at a furious pace. She was so concentrated in the research that she didn't notice Shinji walking back to his console. A few minutes later Asuka came back to reality and reflected on what had happened. Shinji had shown her kindness again.  
  
Goddamn it, she thought. Why does he keep having to do that? It's not like I treat him nicely or anything, he just does it as if it's the most natural thing in the world for him!  
  
After fuming for a few more seconds, Asuka returned her attention to the designs of Unit 02. The technology behind the EVAs, especially her own, fascinated her. Apparently, Unit 00, 02, 03, and 04 were all designed utilizing aspects of Adam. Most of their internal structures were identical and thus they were said to be made of Adam. A little of Adam's DNA didn't hurt either. However, Unit 01 and the EVA series were so different. Though they both originated from Angels, Lilith was another thing entirely when compared with Adam. Both were made of a substance very much like solidified light but otherwise Asuka had no idea what was truly going on.  
  
The other thing that kept drawing Asuka's attention was the S2 organs. They were powerful tools but only one EVA besides the EVA series had one, Unit 01. What made that unit so special? Why did it go berserk so many times? It couldn't have just been the fact that it was made from Lilith. Or could it? Asuka brought up another file, the one on the report about the failed experiment with Unit 04 and the prototype S2 engine. Unit 04 was built from Adam and the S2 organ failed. It might have been just flawed design in the engine, but coincidences rarely happened when EVAs and Angels were involved. Unit 01 had a S2 organ and so did all of the EVA series. They were all built from Lilith and were thus fundamentally different.  
  
"Adam and Lilith. So what's their story?"  
  
This course of thinking caused Asuka to delve into more background information regarding the Angels themselves. Unfortunately, that led to a dead end. The Dead Sea Scrolls had a lot of information on these beings but they were unattainable. The MAGI had no idea where they were and Asuka was pretty sure that Shinji wouldn't know either. As they were the only two humans left on Earth, anything they didn't know how to get at was basically lost.  
  
"Damn it!" Asuka uttered in frustration.  
  
"Something wrong?"  
  
"Oops. Didn't think I was so loud. Yeah, something is wrong, but neither of us can solve it. Just go back to whatever you were doing."  
  
One second later Asuka's stomach started growling.  
  
"On second thought, Shinji, could you get us some food?"  
  
"Uh, sure."  
  
He was about to leave when suddenly Asuka turned around in her wheelchair and followed him.  
  
"Oh second thought, I'm coming with you."  
  
Shinji raised an eyebrow before continuing. It wasn't like Asuka to want to accompany him. What was happening to her? And was it a good thing? They walked to the cafeteria and again Shinji had to make something from whatever he found in the kitchen. When he was done, the meal actually looked eatable, though how eatable mystery meat is one should never explore too far.  
  
They had just started eating when Shinji suddenly froze. Asuka looked at him and waved a hand in front of his face.  
  
"Hey Shinji. Shinji? You okay? Shinji!"  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
The young man found himself plummeting down a sea of orange water. Apparently it wasn't really water as he could breathe. As Shinji looked around, he thought he saw forms of people. But who were they?  
  
It was then that Shinji realized he was floating in LCL, the same liquid that was used for synchronization with EVAs. He reached out with his hand and it swam through the watery like substance slowly. Shinji then looked closely at the images that passed him. They did resemble people, but again, who were they? Just then he thought he caught sight of someone in a red jacket. He spun around, catching one more glimpse of the person. At the last moment, that person turned around and Shinji stared right into those brown eyes.  
  
"Misato. Misato!"  
  
Shinji tried to run or swim towards the person, but he wouldn't move. The fleeting image disappeared, leaving the young man alone again. Suddenly he felt another familiar presence close by. He turned around and at first saw nothing. Then, those orange glasses appeared and the rest of the man materialized. Shinji's face contorted into one of absolute rage.  
  
"Father!"  
  
This time Shinji wasn't trying to chase whatever it was, be it his father or a phantom. He was trying to attack. His feet suddenly seemed to touch something of substance and he ran. A second later, Shinji leapt and tried to ram into his father, but instead flew through the phantom and into the arms of another. When he opened his eyes, he found that they were locked onto a pair of blue eyes so like his own. It was his mother.  
  
"Mom."  
  
The phantom smiled and seemed to hug him. Shinji returned the embrace but felt a chill. He let go and turned around. His father was there again.  
  
"Damn you Father!" he screamed.  
  
All the pent-up rage inside him finally let loose. A giant shockwave burst out and swept across the vast ocean. Shinji felt the LCL boiling around him but didn't care. Nothing mattered now.  
  
"Shinji!"  
  
That voice cracked through his rage and the shockwave dissipated. He turned around and saw his mother again, worry on her face.  
  
"Shinji, don't."  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"Shinji!"  
  
His eye's snapped open and Shinji found himself floating in the air, red static crackling around him. The table had been wrecked and Asuka was a few feet away, as if afraid to approach him. He came down onto the ground again and stood there.  
  
"Asuka, I'm sorry."  
  
He then ran away as fast as he could. Without looking back, Shinji Ikari fled again. This time, it was to keep the monster within him from hurting those he loved.  
  
"Shinji!" Asuka cried after him, "Shinji, come back! Please!"  
  
Ignoring the yells, Shinji disappeared into the complex.  
  
Asuka couldn't do anything. Her entire body was frozen. She'd just seen red energy start whirling around Shinji and been thrown back before the table and their meal was smashed into splinters. Whatever had been eating away at Shinji had finally surfaced. Asuka started to run after him but her body was suddenly wrecked with pain. She collapsed on the ground and curled into a ball, shivering for several seconds before unclenching. Getting back onto her feet, Asuka leaned against the wall for support. She didn't know why her body had such a reaction but didn't want to risk another.  
  
She was about to go back to her wheelchair and chase after Shinji using that when her eyes glassed over.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Asuka moaned as she realized where she was. She had started to hate Eve and those robed people in this so-called sanctuary. The trees were still there and that damnable light still shined upon the garden. And this time, Eve was standing there waiting for her.  
  
"What do you want?" Asuka snapped, "If you have nothing useful to tell me then send me back. I have to find Shinji!"  
  
"I know where he is headed," Eve replied calmly, "though it is a surprise that you would want to find him. You've been complaining about being stuck on Earth with him."  
  
"Well, uh, he's useful right now. Besides, it's too much work trying to take care of myself."  
  
"You mean you need him to help you," Eve said.  
  
"Wh-what? I don't need anybody!" Asuka screamed, outraged.  
  
"Asuka, I know who you are and I know who Shinji is. Right now, he needs you and you need him. The two of you share a bond that neither of you will understand until later, but believe me on this. You are the most important person in the world to him, and he's the most important person to you."  
  
"No he isn't!"  
  
"Then who is?" Eve questioned.  
  
"Why, Kaji. Yeah, it's Kaji."  
  
"No he is not," Eve countered, "You sound as if you're trying to convince yourself of that. Lose that damn pride of yours before you lose something far more important, Asuka. I am offering you the help that you need. If only just this once, take it."  
  
"No. I don't need help!" Asuka screamed, her face starting to get red.  
  
"Then you don't want to find Shinji, I assume."  
  
Asuka didn't answer. Instead, she pouted.  
  
"I will tell you how to find Shinji, if you are willing to swallow your pride. It is not that hard, or can you not do it?"  
  
That single challenge was enough. Asuka glared at Eve but nodded ever so slightly. Eve took it as in the positive and so told Asuka in detail where Shinji would be going. Once she was done, Asuka found herself back in the NERV compound. She returned to her wheelchair and started out after the "idiot."  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Shinji looked out into the sea and saw the partially melted MP EVA still standing there. He did his best to ignore it but it wouldn't go away if he simply didn't look at it. Shinji sat down in the sand and let the water run up to him. Perhaps he should end it here to make sure Asuka wouldn't get hurt around him. It wasn't as if she truly needed her. He didn't know how to swim either so he could easily just jump into a deep area and his troubles would all be over. So why didn't he?  
  
Shaking his head, Shinji made up his mind and got up. He walked up to a ledge and looked down. The water might not be too deep, but if he allowed the current to carry him a little that would be enough. Taking one last look at the ruined city behind him, Shinji Ikari jumped.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Asuka had just come over the last ridge, given up on the wheelchair to get to the beach because of the dunes. She saw a figure on top of a ledge and realized it was Shinji. Before she could shot, the figure disappeared. Her eyes shot wide open as Asuka realized the horrible truth of what Shinji had just done.  
  
"Shinji!"  
  
End of Chapter 2  
  
Took a while but don't complain. Also, Adaptation is progressing but slowly. All other EVA fics are on hold. Also, if any of you submitted a review on June 4, according to the owners of ff.net, they were deleted so resend if you have to.  
  
Z98 


	4. Testing Ground

Recrudesce of Evangelion  
  
Chapter 3: Testing Ground  
  
"Shinji!"  
  
The eyes opened slowly, revealing blue within the iris. The young man blinked a few seconds and tried to get the echo out of his head. That was the last word he'd heard. Shinji. His name.  
  
Shinji nearly bolted up from his bed had he not felt the weight on his shoulder and arm. He looked down and saw Asuka snuggled up against him, clutching his arm. Shinji allowed a smile to creep onto his face but quickly pushed it away. He had tried to commit suicide and should have succeeded. Did Asuka save him? If so, had she hurt herself in the process? They still didn't know the extent of her wounds. But that raised a question. Why. Why had Asuka saved him, a boy that she had constantly insulted and belittled. Did she actually care about him? Impossible. But then, why? Was there another explanation.  
  
For a few seconds Shinji Ikari considered something that was only a few days ago the impossible; Asuka Langley Soryu cared about someone. Shinji blinked again, fully awake. It wasn't like he was going to fall asleep again, so he had to wait for Asuka to wake up. Fortunately, that didn't take long.  
  
Asuka yawned and blinked a few times before looking at Shinji. Their eyes locked and Shinji thought he detected something akin to happiness in her eye. However, he'd rarely ever seen Asuka happy so he wasn't sure. All that still didn't prepare him for what came next. Asuka slapped him. Hard. He rubbed the red hand mark but said nothing. His roommate took care of the speaking.  
  
"You idiot! I can't believe you actually tried to commit suicide! What did you think you were doing? What would have happened to me! I'm still injured and I seriously doubt I could have carried on without you! Who would cook and clean for me until I recovered! You're so inconsiderate Shinji, and you'd better learn to be smarter or else that slap won't be your last, do you understand me!"  
  
Shinji had been backed against the wall by a very annoyed Asuka and all he could do was nod. However, even in his current state, he picked up something.  
  
"Y-you need me?"  
  
"Of course I need-" Asuka began, catching herself at the last moment. She frowned and started pouting again.  
  
"It's okay," Shinji said, "You don't have to say anything else. And I'm sorry. I just, I wanted to protect you."  
  
"Look Third Child, I don't need protection. I can take care of myself. And stop apologizing or I will slap you again!"  
  
"Umm, okay?"  
  
Asuka sighed. "Good. At least you got that out of your system. Now, onto something more important. Shinji, what the hell were you thinking? Sure, you wanted to protect me. Sure, that was a really weird display at the cafeteria. But damn it, I want an explanation here and now! What the hell is going on!"  
  
Asuka had originally thought she'd imagined it, but now she was sure. Shinji was flinching every time she used the word hell. But why? Reading Revelation once shouldn't have that kind of effect. There was something else.  
  
"It's, kind of hard to explain."  
  
"Well try very hard, cause you're not leaving this bed until you do."  
  
Shinji swallowed and nodded. "Okay. Well, you see, I've been having these dreams, and I keep meeting this man. At first he called himself a guardian, and apparently he's Apollyon. And, well."  
  
Asuka pondered Shinji's words. His dreams were very much like her own, but did that mean anything? It had to. Eve spoke of something about them being candidates for something, but she never specified for what. Maybe Shinji was in contact with Eve's counterpart. Apollyon was the Destroyer, if her memory was correct.  
  
"What did this Apollyon say to you?" Asuka asked, her gaze intense.  
  
"Well, he, well."  
  
It was apparent Shinji was reluctant to tell her, but Asuka pressed on. Finally, he cracked.  
  
"He-he called me the Antichrist."  
  
Whatever reaction Shinji had expected, fear, disgust, anger, none of it was there. Instead, Asuka burst out into laughter.  
  
"You? The Antichrist? Hahaha! That's good! Hahaha! Oh man, and I thought it was something serious!" She then broke down into laughter again, unable to control herself.  
  
Shinji was speechless for the most part, surprised by his roommate's response. Technically she should be afraid of him, but right now Asuka was laughing her head off. It was unbelievable! Did she not believe him? Why? Well, the idea was slightly ridiculous now that he thought about it. But still, why would Apollyon say he was the Antichrist? To screw with his mind?  
  
Shinji shook his head, driving that thought out of his head. No matter what, he'd still nearly hurt Asuka. That was something neither of them could ignore. Why didn't she take him seriously?  
  
"Sorry, Shinji, but, damn that was funny! Ha! You would never be the Antichrist. You're the wimpiest person I know. There's no way you could bring down Armageddon upon Earth. Besides, wouldn't you be too late anyways?"  
  
"Uh, well, I guess."  
  
"Now stop with this nonsense. You have nothing to worry about because you are not the Antichrist. Okay?"  
  
"But, oh okay." Shinji wasn't in the mood to continue the argument, so he stopped. However, that wasn't good enough.  
  
"No, not okay. Either you stop acting like this or this discussion continues," Asuka stated, "Now, are you going to stop trying to commit suicide?"  
  
Shinji nodded.  
  
"Good. Now go make breakfast!"  
  
Even when she was trying to help him, Asuka could be rather bossy. Then, a thought resurfaced.  
  
"Asuka, how did you save me?"  
  
"How? I'd think that was pretty obvious. I swam out and pulled you back."  
  
"What! You didn't hurt yourself, did you?"  
  
Asuka tisked. "I already told you, Third Child. I don't need your help. Now go make breakfast!"  
  
Shinji sighed and did as she ordered. One did not continue an argument with Asuka unless one seriously wanted to get a point across. Right now it was best to let matters rest.  
  
"What do you want for breakfast?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Sunny-side up," Asuka requested, "I'm getting sick of scrambled."  
  
Shinji did a mock-bow. "Of course, your majesty."  
  
Asuka raised an eyebrow. "You know, a while back I would have kicked your ass for that. You're just lucky I'm too tired."  
  
Shinji laughed and went to cook breakfast while Asuka pondered his story. So she wasn't the only one meeting strange people in her dreams. This really complicated matters in a way Asuka seriously disliked. She got off the bed and went to brush her teeth. Even if no other human was around, Asuka still took her own hygiene seriously.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Eve was already waiting when Apollyon appeared. This was the neutral ground, where the two could meet and none were allowed to fight. She was facing away from him, her eyes closed and her mind serene. However, that didn't keep her from sensing his presence.  
  
"It's been a while, Apollyon."  
  
"Indeed it has, Eve. What brings you to the neutral zone?" Apollyon asked.  
  
"The same thing that brings you here." Eve turned around and faced him. "We are both aware of the two beings currently on Earth. Both have extraordinary potential, though they are already very powerful."  
  
"Are you questioning my dealings?"  
  
"No. I'm questioning your reasoning behind him. If you make a signal mistake, one of them might end up destroying you," Eve warned.  
  
"A risk, but you are also risking much."  
  
Eve closed her eyes again but tears leaked out from under the eyelids. Apollyon saw this and turned away. He had thought this no longer affected him, but a part of him dreaded what came next.  
  
"Why did you leave me?"  
  
"Why did you become the advisor of the Messiah!" Apollyon demanded, "This could have all been avoided had neither of us taken the position offered."  
  
"And yet what happened to us would have damned us both if we had allowed it to continue," Even said, her voice starting to crack. "You should have told me you were given the offer."  
  
"Would you have come with me? Would you have left the Heavens to live in the Hells with me, damned just as I have been damned?"  
  
"Yes, for God does not love us. Only the Messiah does."  
  
"And yet the Antichrist is also capable of loving us," Apollyon countered, "Why won't you understand?"  
  
"Because I can't," Eve replied, "Just as you cannot understand me. We've been divided for far too long."  
  
She wiped away the tears and turned serious.  
  
"Do not harm the Messiah, or you will answer to me. It is my duty to advise and protect, and I will face you if it so requires."  
  
"And if it so requires, I will face you as well. But tell me. Why did you come?"  
  
"I came to see you one last time before the Final Battle," Eve answered.  
  
White light enveloped her and she disappeared, leaving Apollyon. He stood there a while longer before returning to his master's citadel.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"Shinji, I've been thinking about what you've been saying."  
  
Shinji froze, in the process of typing something into the console. The two were back at NERV at Asuka's insistence, trying to find a way to undo all the damage Third Impact had done. He had been trying to avoid that train of thought, but Asuka's statement shattered all that.  
  
"You're not the only one having dreams," Asuka confessed, "I'm, well, I've also had dreams, and I also met a guardian. But the guardian I met was a woman, and her name is Eve."  
  
"Eve. What does that mean?" Shinji asked.  
  
"In the bible, Eve is the wife of Adam and the mother of humanity."  
  
"Oh. But, isn't that fictional?"  
  
"I'm pretty sure most of it is, but look at NERV. A lot of the stuff has biblical references. The MAGI, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Angels, heck, even the Evangelions are named after something biblical."  
  
"But we still don't know for sure why," Shinji pointed out."  
  
"Okay, point. But I'm sure that's an important part of what we're trying to solve. Anyways, I've been meeting Eve and she was the one that told me where you were going. You should be thanking her for helping save your life."  
  
Shinji's head drooped down. Asuka sighed. Apparently he still hadn't forgiven himself for the attempt. She shook her head and whacked him on the back of his head.  
  
"Get over it Third Child, there're more important things to worry about."  
  
"Sorry."  
  
"And stop! I'm only going to say this one more time. Stop apologizing for every damn thing! And if you say sorry to this, I swear I'm going to kick you even harder than the time when you saw me naked. Okay?!"  
  
Shinji nodded, remembering the experience quite painfully. He was about to get back to work when Asuka grabbed his arm.  
  
"I'm not done," she said, "Anyways, this Eve person keeps hinting about the two of us, as if we're important in some way or another. She said Rei might have been part of it, but I'm glad that Wonder Girl isn't here. I doubt I could stand her."  
  
"Umm, Asuka?" Shinji interrupted.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Please don't call Rei any names, okay? She's, well, she's the closest thing I have to a biological relative on my mother's side, so I'd appreciate it if you stopped insulting her, especially since she isn't here."  
  
Asuka's eyes narrowed as she looked into Shinji's.  
  
"Okay, what have you done with the Shinji I know?"  
  
"Uh, what?"  
  
"You're standing up for someone. That's not right."  
  
"Well, I guess I've changed since Third Impact."  
  
"Hmm. Well, I'll accept that explanation for now. How about this. You stop apologizing every five seconds and I'll stop insulting Rei. Deal?"  
  
"Deal."  
  
"Sometimes I don't know what you'd do without me," Asuka said proudly, "Anyways, back on topic. I seriously doubt you're the Antichrist for a number of reasons. And just believe me on this, okay?"  
  
Shinji nodded.  
  
"Good. Now all we have to do is finish uploading these files and we can go home. Damn these files are big."  
  
"A lot of the control protocols are simply computer code," Shinji reminded her, "I don't know any coding so I can't really make heads or tails of it."  
  
"And I get stuck with it since I know some programming. Ah well. And are you sure you're okay with getting back to work so soon?"  
  
"I'm fine," Shinji assured her.  
  
"Good, cause the last thing I need is you collapsing from exhaustion. It was a pain to drag you back from the beach and it'll be a pain to drag you back home from here. So stay awake!"  
  
"Uh, okay."  
  
Asuka nodded and turned her attention back to the work. This continued on for a while until Shinji noticed something.  
  
"Hey Asuka, since the EVA series is what's supposed to be maintaining Third Impact with their S2 organs, shouldn't Third Impact have been disrupted when they were destroyed?"  
  
"But they weren't destroyed," Asuka reminded him.  
  
"Yeah, but they were mostly melted. Maybe we could destroy the S2 organs now."  
  
"With what?" Asuka asked him, "Remember, we don't have any EVAs left. Besides, it's not like we could get an entry plug in anyways."  
  
"True. But there has to be a way," Shinji insisted, "Maybe we could shut them down?"  
  
"Wait, I thought we were trying to reverse Third Impact."  
  
"But Third Impact never finished. It's still ongoing. As long as there are still humans on Earth, the merging of all of humanity is not finished. So if we disrupt the process, we might get everyone back."  
  
Asuka thought it over and realized it was a good idea.  
  
"Well, you're good for something I see."  
  
She accessed one of the files for the MP EVAs and located the control codes.  
  
"We can't order them to self-destruct," she said, "With those S2 organs they'd probably kill us too."  
  
"Is there some kind of code that tells them to stop?" Shinji asked, "or stops the S2 organs from producing power?"  
  
"Checking," said Asuka, "Let's see. Well, there is one thing that seems to put the S2 engine a kind of dormant state. Maybe that'll work. Except we have one problem."  
  
"What?"  
  
"We'd have to link directly with an MP EVA to broadcast the signal."  
  
"Inside the entry plug?" Shinji said, horrified at the thought of having to go inside a dummy plug.  
  
"Not exactly. There is a way to interface with an EVA from the outside, but we'd still have to get to one and hope that the circuits weren't burned out."  
  
"So we just have to hijack a boat and figure out how to pilot it," said Shinji.  
  
"There is another problem," said Asuka, "The only way to access the EVA's system is a control panel directly outside the entry plug."  
  
Hearing this Shinji moaned. This was seriously bad news.  
  
"How are we supposed to get that high up?" he asked.  
  
"We have to knock the EVAs down," Asuka answered.  
  
"Okay, how are we supposed to do that?"  
  
Asuka winked. "You'll see."  
  
The "you'll see" ended up with Shinji gathering very strong cables from inside NERV. Who knew that an organization like NERV would have steel cables ready for use? The hard part was getting all of it outside. Once it was outside, they were faced with another problem. Getting it to the coast.  
  
"We'll have to drive it all there," Asuka declared.  
  
"But, we don't know how to drive," Shinji said.  
  
"Doesn't matter. We'll learn."  
  
Shinji groaned. This was bound to turn out badly. Asuka found some cars and somehow located their keys. After that it was a crash course in learning how to drive. At times Shinji almost thought he would crash, but he managed to keep cool and keep the car from ramming into anything. By the end he ended up having to do most of the driving as Asuka had been weakened from saving his life. All that meant was that Shinji loaded the wires onto the truck and drove to the coast with Asuka riding along. She seemed to enjoy herself though Shinji worried he might screw up and get both of them killed.  
  
There wasn't much scenery as they drove though once they got to the coast it was rather interesting. They were rather fortunate to find two of the boats working, so if one broke down they could use the other. And who knew? Maybe they would need two boats to pull down the EVAs. Asuka had wanted to get started right away but Shinji managed to convince her to wait for a while.  
  
"We still have to plan some things out," he said, "I don't think we can afford to mess up on this."  
  
"Oh fine. Why do you have to be so careful?"  
  
"It's my nature," said Shinji, "I don't want to see others hurt because I was careless."  
  
Asuka looked at him again before speaking.  
  
"Is this about Toji's sister?"  
  
"H-how did you know?"  
  
"I am Hikari's best friend. She told me. Shinji, get over it. Toji forgave you and so did his sister. Besides, you don't have to forget it. All you have to do is learn from that mistake. Now, let's get back and get some more wires."  
  
Shinji was literally shoved back into the car and they drove back slowly. As this was still Shinji's learning experience, he didn't want to push his luck. When they got home, Shinji was exhausted. Asuka cooked dinner for the two and they enjoyed a pleasant meal. Both were getting used to this kind of interaction and it was nice. However, when it came time to sleep, Shinji started worrying again. What if Apollyon visited him again? Could he kill Apollyon? Though Shinji did not want any blood on his hands, the Destroyer was too dangerous. It was almost like he was fighting an Angel again. Or was he?  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Days had passed and Asuka's hair was itching badly. She knew she needed to wash it, but she still couldn't stretch her arm back without hurting it. And that little swim to get Shinji hadn't helped. Right now she had only one resort left but she was hesitant to use it. Oh what the hell. At the very worst Shinji would only faint.  
  
"Shinji! Get in here!"  
  
Shinji was rather prompt and arrived about three seconds later. He walked in and found Asuka wearing nothing but a towel and sitting in the tub.  
  
"Uh, Asuka, do you need something?" Shinji asked nervously, trying to tear his eyes away from Asuka's form but failing badly.  
  
"I need you to wash my hair for me," Asuka said bluntly.  
  
"What!"  
  
"Oh don't be such a wimp. It's not like I'm letting you see me nude."  
  
"B-but!"  
  
"I'll keep this towel on, so turn on the hot water and let's get started! My hair is killing me."  
  
"But, Asuka!"  
  
"Shinji, stop being so afraid. I need someone to wash my hair and you're it. Now get the shampoo and start!"  
  
Shinji swallowed loudly and did as he was ordered. Asuka let the water fill the tub, saying she didn't want to wait too long to start her bath after Shinji finished washing her hair. He got Asuka's hair wet with the hose-like attachment and then used the shampoo. Asuka started moaning in pleasure, doing nothing to help Shinji remain calm. As the itching finally stopped Asuka started lying into the bathtub and giving Shinji a very good view of what was visible of her assets. Soon he'd finished with the shampoo and rinsed it dry. He was about to go when Asuka stopped him.  
  
"Not so fast. Need to use the conditioner."  
  
Trying not to moan loudly, Shinji grabbed the conditioner and applied it to Asuka's hair. Again he rinsed quickly and literally ran out of the bathroom. Inside he could hear Asuka laughing. It was very like her to tease him like this.  
  
After Asuka had finished taking her bath Shinji took a cold shower and tried to stop his body from burning up. Once he'd finished he slumped down on the bed and fell asleep the moment he'd pulled his sheets over.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Asuka was standing upon a large circular platform this time. She had expected another meeting with Eve, but this was different. Four figures in black robes stood at four opposite points of the circle. Each one held a sword before them that was planted down onto what looked like thin air.  
  
"Okay, this is creepy," Asuka said aloud.  
  
"For two millennia has passed, and our master was lost to us," the figures started chanting, "For eternity was ordained to wait for his return to face the beginning or the end. Come forth one who claims to be, our master and savior and champion."  
  
"Who me?" Asuka asked, a little bewildered.  
  
"You who stand before us," they continued, "Complete the challenge and power is yours, but fail and death will be a welcome relief. Those who claim but are false shall be tortured for eternity in the burning hell."  
  
"What! Then I don't want to take this test!" Asuka screamed.  
  
"Open the doorway to the first of three!"  
  
Asuka found herself slowly sinking into the ground. Panicking, she screamed out.  
  
"No wait, I'm not who you think I am! Let me go! Let me go!"  
  
Her cries were of no avail as she disappeared from the platform to the first of three challenges that would determine her fate.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Finding himself standing on a circular platform, Shinji wasn't sure whether to be glad Apollyon wasn't here or afraid of something new. Four figures in white robes stood at four opposite points of the circle, though they seemed to float in thin air. Each one held a staff with a blade at the end. The blade was pointed upwards though the staff seemed to stand on the same thin air the figures were on.  
  
"Where am I?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Champion of humanity," they chanted, "Master of the faithful. We welcome you to the holy grounds."  
  
Shinji looked at the four figures questioningly. Holy grounds? What made them holy? And he couldn't even see who was wearing the robes. He had no idea what was under them. Were they even human?  
  
"Prepare for the trials that will test your worth. See that you pass, for you are the last hope."  
  
The lights went out and total darkness enveloped him. Shinji made no sound but he couldn't keep the fear under control. Suddenly, he was on a large rectangular platform. There was nothing under it, but that meant little as far as he was concerned. A lance with blades on both ends appeared before him. The weapon seemed to call out to Shinji and he grabbed it. Power coursed through his body as if something within the lance was flowing into him. How could a weapon like that hold so much power?  
  
Shinji's attention was suddenly pulled away from the lance as he heard someone scream. He spun around and was nearly cut down by some kind of monster. Ducking, Shinji quickly used the lance and sliced the creature through its torso. It roared in pain and tried to take Shinji down with its last breath but Shinji jumped back.  
  
He was breathing heavily and sweating badly. Whatever that thing was, it was fortunate that it was pretty slow. Otherwise he would have been cleaved in half. But where had that scream come from? It had definitely not been from that monster. It sounded like a girl. Was it Asuka?  
  
Shinji started running towards where he thought the source of the sound was. Without warning another creature leapt out from nowhere and attacked, roaring. The creature was a lot faster than the last one and managed to cut Shinji in the shoulder. He grumbled but quickly retaliated. The monster was definitely faster as it avoided the first swipe. The thing brought down its claws again. Shinji blocked it with the lance. The creature roared and brought down its other arm for the kill. Shinji slid the claw off the lance and sliced through the creature's shoulder. It slipped and fell to the ground but not before Shinji drove the lance through the thing's chest.  
  
"What are these things?" Shinji muttered.  
  
He ignored the falling creature and ran on. If it was Asuka, he'd do everything possible to help her. No matter what.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Asuka backed away from the monster but for some reason it hadn't attacked. She'd screamed at the top of her lungs but even that hadn't fazed it. She was about to try and run but suddenly she noticed that the monster was kneeing to her.  
  
"What?"  
  
The monster remained kneeing, not doing anything else.  
  
"Okay. Stand?"  
  
The monster stood, surprising Asuka and making her jump back.  
  
"W-why are you obeying me?" she asked.  
  
The monster's mouth remained shut, not answering her. Asuka stared at the creature for a while longer before getting back up. She approached the monster but suddenly shadows started gathering in front of her. It took shape and a sword appeared. She had never seen anything like it. The blade was completely black though the hilt was rather plain.  
  
The weapon seemed to call out to her and Asuka took hold. Her body was suddenly so alive, so energetic. This weapon was truly powerful and Asuka could feel the strength inside it. It really did belong to her. But the power felt cold. Why?  
  
Asuka had no time to reflect upon it as the monster jumped over her and blocked a robed figure from slicing her head off. She screamed as the monster was destroyed by the thing's lance. Asuka raised her weapon just in time to block the blow. Asuka barely avoided another swing but the being was thrown back by the force of the blade. Asuka looked at the weapon in amazement. However, she barely had time to look up when the figure attacked her again. Asuka held up her sword again and this time swung the weapon. The sword cut right through the lance and went right through the being.  
  
The robes burned off and Asuka saw what was under them. Wings. Pure white wings exploded from the back of the being as it screamed out in pain. The sword continued and sliced right through the body of the being. Finally, it was over. The thing was dead. It fell to the ground, a mass of burned flesh.  
  
Asuka peered down at the thing and looked over it. The wings were still intact but when she touched it they crumbled completely. She backed away as the entire body turned to ash.  
  
"What the hell is going on?"  
  
A shadow suddenly loomed over Asuka and she turned around quickly, sword at the ready. She relaxed when she saw it was more monsters. They bowed to her and stood at attention.  
  
"Well, let's go," she said.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Shinji killed another monster but they kept coming. It was getting to the point where it was absolutely ridiculous. Out of nowhere dozens of robed warriors appeared and started helping him. They killed the remaining monsters that tried to attack Shinji and formed a wall around him. Even though the monsters managed to land blows, none of them seemed to hurt the warriors. However, when it was over, one fell to its knees. Shinji ran over to him.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked.  
  
"I'll be fine," he answered in a deep voice.  
  
Shinji helped him up and thought he saw something under the robes. However, when he stood up it disappeared. Shinji looked around at the gathered warriors and saw that they all had lances like his, though theirs only had one blade instead of two.  
  
"Who are you?" he asked.  
  
All of them bowed before him and one answered.  
  
"We are your champions, ready to fight for your cause."  
  
"What cause?" Shinji asked.  
  
This time he received no answer. However, he assumed that they would fight for whatever cause he chose. However, there wasn't much time to contemplate what was going on as suddenly an outpour of creatures advanced upon them.  
  
"This is no good," Shinji said as the warriors prepared to fight. "We have to find whatever their source is."  
  
"You are right my lord, but where?"  
  
"Uh, I was hoping you would know," Shinji admitted.  
  
"You are the only one that can sense them," another warrior answered, this one with a feminine voice.  
  
"We have already lost one warrior attacking the Source," a third added, "It will not be easy."  
  
"Can we get away from them?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
The warriors started falling back from the monsters. A few remained behind and cleaned up to make sure none of the monsters could follow them. They quickly rejoined the other warriors and they prepared for the next move.  
  
"Can you sense the Source, my lord?" a warrior asked.  
  
Shinji's eyes were closed and he made no sound. For some reason, he could feel something. It was extremely cold too. But whatever it was, that was their best bet.  
  
"I sense something cold," Shinji said, "That way."  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Asuka was getting used to her weapon and prepared herself as more of the lesser beings attacked. They were not the like the last warrior she'd first faced. Was that being an Angel? A real one? And where the hell was Shinji?  
  
"My lady."  
  
Asuka jumped and turned around. She saw a raven standing on the shoulder of one of the monsters. Did it speak?  
  
"Did you just talk?" she asked.  
  
"Yes my lady."  
  
"Why can only you speak?"  
  
"I am the messenger and will communicate with your minions for you until you are ready to take on the burden of commanding them."  
  
"Ooookay. So, what are those things that keep attacking us?" she asked.  
  
"They are the lesser warriors of your enemy," the raven answered.  
  
"So why are there so many?"  
  
"They are being created by the will of their master."  
  
"What! Oh nuts to that. How do I stop that? And why are my minions all monsters?"  
  
"That is the form they were created in," said the raven, "But if he is killed, they shall be created nevermore."  
  
"Well let's go then! I am not going to get killed like this. And I certainly don't want to burn in hell forever."  
  
Asuka started walking and the monsters moved to follow.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Two forces will soon meet, opposite but also the same. Though they know not who they face, time will reveal all there is.  
  
End of Chapter 3  
  
What's the most feared thing or person amongst anime girls? 1: A tentacle monster 2: An irresistible man 3: Random1377 (because of his lemons) 4: A jealous Asuka  
  
The hose-like attachment. I do not know what is called. Anyone care to enlighten me?  
  
I just couldn't resist with the raven quote. I personally believe Edgar Allen Poe was a great poet and author and so I decided, what the heck. Might as well use it.  
  
Z98 


	5. Rise of the Antichrist

Many of my fics have been rather impersonal and I am trying to rectify that. So beware, anyone who has a very soft and tender heart.  
  
Recrudesce of Evangelion  
  
Chapter 4: Rise of the Antichrist  
  
Eve smiled as she looked down upon the candidate. The one she'd chosen had a lot of potential and would go a great way as the Messiah. Every warrior she'd placed under his command seemed to respect him and so far he'd proven capable. But was it enough?  
  
"You seem interested in my candidate."  
  
Even turned around to face Apollyon.  
  
"One would think you wouldn't make such a mistake," Eve said.  
  
"I made no mistake. However, if you persist in attempting to make my candidate the Messiah, I will not interfere. But what will happen once the two meet?"  
  
"So you did plan this. You plan on making whoever wins the Antichrist."  
  
"And you plan on making the loser, the weaker of the two, the Messiah."  
  
"This is a battle that the one who does not kill will win," Eve replied, "but it seems you're unable to comprehend that."  
  
"Each position has a different set of requirements," Apollyon replied, "If you cannot see that, then I do not know how you will advise your master."  
  
"We shall see which is truly the stronger when the final battle comes," Eve answered coldly. "This is not a game anymore and I'm afraid you will have to learn a painful lesson."  
  
"Perhaps."  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
On Earth, the MP EVAs started to tremble. Suddenly the core on one started bursting. LCL poured out of it and flowed down to the ocean it was standing in. Its entire body continued to crumble, finally revealing the S2 organ under its core. The S2 organ seemed to float in the air without anything holding it.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"They're getting more numerous," Shinji commented.  
  
The small group of warriors that Shinji led were facing more and more creatures. He hoped it meant they were getting closer. The cold feeling was closer and whenever he reached out it felt like he was surrounded by an ice cage. But what about that scream? Was it Asuka? Shinji shook his head to clear his mind. There was no time to dwell on such thoughts. If it was Asuka the best thing he could do for her was end whatever was causing all this.  
  
"We are approaching the Source," one of the warriors said, "The darkness feels far stronger here."  
  
"Then let's get ready. I don't want to let it get the drop on us. But what exactly is the Source?"  
  
Before the warrior could answer another monster leapt at them. It was quickly cleaved in half but more creatures started appearing and attacking them. Shinji twirled the lance and ended up slicing through a dozen or so monsters that got near him. When the little skirmish was over he nearly collapsed from exhaustion. A warrior helped him remain standing and they started off again.  
  
"What is this Source?" Shinji asked again.  
  
"The Source is the representation of all the evils of humanity. It is extremely powerful and as you have seen can create an almost limitless army of demons."  
  
"So why are they trying to kill us?" Shinji asked, "Or is there something you haven't told me?"  
  
The warrior didn't answer but kept hauling Shinji along. He dropped the issue and watched the warriors around him. All of them seemed exhausted from all the fighting. Shinji was already tired but seeing the others in similar conditions made him feel more comfortable with them.  
  
"Stop," he said.  
  
All of the warriors stopped and looked over at him.  
  
"Everyone rest," he ordered, "I doubt I'll be able to face the Source anyways in this condition."  
  
All of the warriors hesitated, looking at one another. Finally one spoke.  
  
"We should press on," she said, "We must defeat the Source as quickly as possible or else we will be overwhelmed."  
  
"And we'll lose to this Source if we're all exhausted," Shinji countered, "I say we rest for a few minutes. Besides, we're close. If we're lucky this Source will run into us."  
  
Conceding, the warriors all slumped down. Shinji could feel their fatigue catching up with them. It was like they'd been holding it all inside and finally letting it out. He sighed and laid down. The warriors escorting him weren't the only ones tired. One of the warriors took out a blue sphere. It expanded until all of the warriors were behind a barrier.  
  
"This will keep any monster from entering," she explained, "It will also attract the demons and their master but it will last a full thirty minutes before the energy fades. By then we will have rested."  
  
"Good. Might as well get it over with."  
  
Shinji closed his eyes and tried to block out all that had happened. All the events were overloading him and the thing he needed most right now was rest.  
  
"How powerful is this Source?" Shinji asked.  
  
"As powerful as you," a warrior answered, "though the Source's experience matches yours."  
  
"So neither of us have an advantage," Shinji noted, "Well, is there anything we can do to give us an advantage?"  
  
"There is nothing we can do until the time comes. Then it will be between you and the Source."  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"This is nuts," Asuka muttered.  
  
Her little group of monsters had fended off a dozen attacks by what the raven called 'lesser warriors' but still she was feeling exhausted. She had also sensed whatever was creating them and it had been moving around before. Now it was sitting still, as if waiting for her.  
  
"Well, you've just lost the initiative," Asuka said.  
  
"Excuse me?" the raven asked.  
  
"That thing has stopped moving," Asuka reported, "Let's go and take it down."  
  
"Very well, my lady."  
  
Asuka grinned as if she was enjoying the hunt. And who's to say she wasn't? Keeping her sword at the ready, Asuka started running towards the source of the energy. A few more warriors appeared and tried to attack her but her momentum couldn't be stopped. They were sliced apart before any was close to landing a blow. Suddenly she was set upon by three white- robed warriors. These were far more powerful and attacked Asuka as a team.  
  
The first one flew in and swung at Asuka, nearly striking her. She didn't have the chance to retaliate as the other two all flew at her. Several of the large monsters leapt and knocked one of the warriors away. The other Asuka blocked and kicked, sending him crashing onto the ground. Her protectors were quickly killed by the second warrior and he attacked again. This time Asuka flipped over him and drove the sword into his back. He screamed out in pain as the sword cut through his spine. The robe burst into blue flames and burned off, revealing white fluffy wings. They spread out and knocked Asuka back and forcing the sword out.  
  
Asuka landed on her butt and groaned.  
  
"Now that sucks," she said.  
  
Quickly getting back onto her feet, Asuka was just in time to see the warrior charge at her. This time a sword of pure light was the only weapon the warrior had as he had dropped his lance. Asuka fought back viciously, doing everything she could to hold off the attack. The monsters were all busy engaging the other two and Asuka was just glad they hadn't shown their wings. Ducking another swing Asuka attacked from low, driving her sword into the warrior. Screaming, white light shot out from his wounds. Asuka pulled her sword out and jumped back as the warrior was consumed in light and exploded.  
  
Seeing their fellow warrior fall, the other two disappeared. Asuka sank to her knees and panted. That fight was even harder than the first one and she was even more experienced with this sword now.  
  
"What are those things?" she demanded.  
  
"The champions of your opponent," the raven answered, "Their mission is to serve their master and if they must they will kill you."  
  
"Well they're definitely trying now," Asuka shot back, "They look like Angels! What are they!"  
  
"They are champions out to kill you," the raven replied, "You must destroy their master if you are to survive this."  
  
"But, aren't Angels supposed to be champions of good?"  
  
"You have faced Angels before," the raven pointed out, "Would you say those Angels were champions of good? They were attempting to wipe out humanity."  
  
"But, aren't these Angels different?" Asuka asked.  
  
"In what way? Your destiny is to return humanity to its proper place on Earth."  
  
"You mean, I could end Third Impact?"  
  
"That is certainly within your power. However, you must finish this test if you wish to do such a thing."  
  
Asuka closed her eyes, as if contemplating all this. Her eyes shot open with a look of determination.  
  
"I'll do it. To end Third Impact for Shinji."  
  
All of the monsters rallied in front of her and bowed. Asuka turned around and the small army started marching again. They would soon find what they were searching for.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"My lord, the shield is wearing off," the warrior reported.  
  
Shinji nodded and got back up. The time the shield had bought them had been invaluable. He was now fully rested and ready to face this Source.  
  
"Tell me, if I pass this test, what can I then do?" Shinji asked.  
  
"You can save humanity from itself," she answered, "If you so choose."  
  
"You mean I can end Third Impact?"  
  
"Of course. But that will only be one of many things within your power."  
  
"That's all I really want then," said Shinji, "To get back all of my friends. My family."  
  
"Including your father?"  
  
Shinji's face hardened. "He is one of few people I could never forgive."  
  
"Forgiveness is something that all people deserve," the warrior replied, "Though you may not be able to forgive him, he does deserve it."  
  
"Even after all that had happened? He manipulated everyone and didn't care who got hurt or died."  
  
"All in search of his wife, your mother."  
  
"He had no right to hurt others even if it was to get my mother back. No one has the right to hurt others for personal gain."  
  
"But it was to help a loved one. Would you hurt people you don't know to help Asuka or Rei?"  
  
"W-what?"  
  
"Would you hurt someone to help Asuka or Rei?"  
  
Shinji looked away and didn't answer.  
  
"Just as I thought. The first thing one must do to overcome a weakness is to admit they have it."  
  
"How is it a weakness to want to help someone!" Shinji demanded.  
  
"You must balance the urge to help and the urge to do anything necessary in order to help them. It is this one area that you are heavily flawed in. But otherwise, I am sure that you will become a great warrior."  
  
"I don't want to be a warrior," Shinji mumbled, "I just want to have a family again."  
  
"A family is something you must build. You cannot let others do it for you. When you return, you will see that."  
  
Shinji tightened the grip he had on his lance. This was utterly ridiculous. Why were they questioning him in this fashion?  
  
"Because we want you to be sure of yourself."  
  
Shinji looked at the warrior in surprise.  
  
"We can sense the uncertainty inside of you. We will do what we must to help you overcome that."  
  
"Is that another weakness I have to fix?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Yes. But you have come a long way already. Another wave approaches."  
  
Shinji looked out and saw it was true. More demons were charging at them. He thought he saw something small fly around and disappear but shook his head. It was probably his imagination. Best to get rid of these monsters and defeat the Source.  
  
All of the warriors followed as Shinji led the attack. He screamed a challenge and attacked the first monster. It stood no chance and exploded into flames with just one swipe of the lance. Shinji spun the lance and knocked back three monsters that had tried to gang up on him. He drove the lance into the closest one and then cut upwards, slicing the creature in half. Another monster was beheaded as a third was stabbed all in one clean swing.  
  
The monsters seemed to try to encircle the warriors but Shinji led several charges that quickly destroyed what structure the attempt had had. The warriors around Shinji handled themselves well and were able to easily overcome the monsters. When the fighting had finished the battlefield was again empty. All of the monsters had turned to ash when they were killed so all that remained of the enemy was dust.  
  
"How close are we to the Source?" a warrior asked.  
  
"Very," Shinji replied, "I can feel the coldness. How does the Source keep from being consumed by it?"  
  
"It is because the Source is that energy that it is so strong," he answered, "As you are composed of a power directly opposite of the Source, you feel it as corrosive."  
  
"No wonder it feels so bad. Well, we're close and that's all that matters."  
  
The small group continued their trek and fast approached the Source. Shinji could feel it moving towards them. Was the Source like him? Could it also sense his energies? Well, that would certainly explain why the two were headed on a conclusion course. Looking down at the lance, Shinji made sure it was clean and ready for another battle. He was tired of killing and tired of drawing blood. If he won here, maybe he could go back.  
  
Suddenly a thought came upon Shinji. Why did he want to go back so badly? It was Asuka. For some reason he felt like he needed to be there for her, to protect her and help here. And also be helped by her. Why did he feel this way? Asuka had never truly been kind to him. Well, she had saved his life and she had changed. Asuka was now more polite towards him and seemed to enjoy his company instead of despise it. That was certainly new. But that went back to the question of why. Another uncertainty that he would have to solve.  
  
The warriors came to a ridge and climbed it. Before them was a massive crater that seemed perfect for a massive battlefield. Another small army was approaching from the other side of the crater. Shinji squinted to see who was at their head. His eyes went wide and he gasped.  
  
"That is your enemy," the warrior said.  
  
All of them shed their robes and revealed the brilliant white wings on their backs. Their lances also transformed as light consumed them. They became longer and were more like double-sided swords. The Angels remained standing, awaiting battle.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Asuka couldn't help but be impressed at the legion of monsters behind her. If she could use them to defeat her opponent, she could go back home. To Shinji. Why had he become so important to her? It wasn't like she felt anything for him. Well, she did consider him a friend of sorts. But was he more?  
  
Asuka shook her head. This wasn't something she needed to contemplate right now. She had to win and then end Third Impact. This went beyond just saving humanity. This was more about finding out about herself, why she was here. But in the end she would end Third Impact.  
  
"We are here," said the raven.  
  
Asuka saw that they were looking down into a large crater. Whoever was her enemy had apparently beaten her here as another group was on the other side. It was a long way off but somehow Asuka found herself able to see the man on the other side. Recognizing the man, Asuka gasped. It was Shinji. And from the look on his face he was having a similar reaction.  
  
Asuka cursed. She should have paid more attention to what Shinji was saying in his dreams. Did that mean he really was the Antichrist? Well, he was leading Angels. But again that didn't make sense. Angels were supposed to be good. Or were they like the Angels they had fought? The Angels that had tried to initiate Third Impact?  
  
"My lady, we must strike quickly," said the raven, "They will do their utmost to kill us."  
  
"But that's Shinji! He'd never hurt me!"  
  
"It was his will that created the warriors that tried to kill you."  
  
"He's surprised to see me. I doubt he even knew I was here."  
  
"That does not matter," said the raven, "If you fail to kill him, you fail the test."  
  
Asuka frowned. She didn't even want to fight Shinji, much less kill him. What was she to do?  
  
"You must win," said the raven, "Or else."  
  
Asuka swallowed. "Fine. I'll fight, but I won't win."  
  
The monsters all seemed eager for battle and charged. The Angels on the other side took this as a call to action and took off, diving into battle. She could still see Shinji clearly and saw disappointment and sorrow on his face. He charged, holding the lance low at his side.  
  
"I'm sorry Shinji," Asuka said, "I'll make it up to you."  
  
The two sides closed in on each other and crashed into a massive battle. The Angels sliced through the monsters with ease but many times found themselves outnumbered and forced to fall back.  
  
The two masters met in the center of the battlefield, seeming to teleport there in an instant. Both looked at the other with sad eyes and the battle commenced. Shinji's lance struck down and was blocked by Asuka's sword. Asuka counterattacked and stabbed at Shinji, only to be deflected and nearly losing her sword in the process. Energy crackled each time their weapons came into contact, the opposite forces fighting each other. Both showed surprising talent when wielding their weapons, fighting in styles neither were sure about but executing flawlessly.  
  
Why? That one word flashed in both their minds at the same time. Why were they fighting? Why did they have to pass this test? Why were they fighting in the first place? Why had fate decided to make them do this? In that one instant everything slowed down and finally stopped. An outsider would have seen a frozen battlefield, with Angels and monsters fighting each other, but at the center two young teens dueling with sorrow in their hearts. And if one saw what was in their eyes, one would see the pain both were in.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Deep within Asuka's mind she found herself looking at a shattered mirror. The lines distorted the image, showing her something that was not her. She touched the mirror and it shimmered. Asuka slowly took a step back and looked around. She was once again on the battlefield but everything was frozen. Even the stance she and Shinji had assumed were there, but it wasn't them. Both were fuzzy and she couldn't tell who they were. Was this a mirage? No.  
  
Asuka turned around and looked at each of the warriors and monsters that were fighting. She approached one of the Angels that had been skewed by the massive claw of a monster, and the look of pain on her face. Another was in the process of slicing off the claw that had impaled the first Angel. The would-be savior had a calmer face but it was etched with exhaustion.  
  
These were not people that were trying to kill her. Indeed, they were following Shinji and trying to protect him. But what about these monsters? Shinji walked around and stared into the eye of the monster. There was a slight glint in it but Asuka easily recognized the look. The monster was enjoying the carnage. It enjoyed killing and fighting and it enjoyed the blood of its victims. These monsters followed her here because they wanted to fight, not because they wanted to protect her. They were unpredictable and thus had to be exterminated.  
  
Black energy gathered in Asuka's hands and she touched the monster. It burst into flames and crumbled to dust, the Angel still suspended in midair with nothing holding it except time. Asuka walked away from the scene and observed the many other monsters. They did not deserve to serve her. Suddenly she saw another monster preparing to strike a fallen Angel. The monster was knocked back and the wounds on the Angel healed. Was Shinji also in a state like this? Was he doing what he could?  
  
Shaking her head, Asuka continued her work. She studied the monsters around her and saw that all of them were enjoying the battle. However, the raven simply watched. It was floating in the air, head down and studying the battlefield. Asuka lifted herself into the air and looked into the bird's eyes. They were different. They were simply observing all that was happening. The bird was indifferent to the battle. However, it was concentrating on something. Asuka looked down and saw the form of where she and Shinji were supposed to be struggling. So the bird was watching them. But for what? Again Asuka probed into the eyes of the bird. There was a spark of worry inside them. Was the raven concerned? Why would it be?  
  
Asuka returned to the ground, leaving the raven undisturbed. She had other matters to look into. Walking amongst the combatants, Asuka looked each of the monsters under her command in the eye. Every single one of them had that same lust for blood she had seen in the first one. Frustrated, Asuka swept her hands and all of the monsters exploded and turned to dust. These were not the warriors she needed. She needed people more capable than this. True warriors like those that Shinji commanded. But where would she get them? Well, time would tell once it started again.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Shinji opened his eyes and found himself standing on the battlefield. He was supposed to be locking blades with Asuka but the only thing where they were supposed to be was a fuzzy form. A breeze suddenly hit Shinji and he spun around. He was just in time to see one of the monsters shattering into dust. It had impaled one of his warriors but now all that remained was a wound. Who could have done that? Was Asuka also here but not visible to him?  
  
Shinji walked over and his hand started glowing blue. He touched the wound and it closed, healing the Angel. Was there anyone else that was wounded? Walking around, Shinji searched for the ones that had incurred wounds during the battle. Most of the warriors had some kind of injury, though no one else had anything as bad as the female Angel Shinji had healed first. When he was about finished, he saw all of the monsters crumbling at the same time. Who was doing this? Was it Asuka? But why? Why would she destroy the people that were fighting for her?  
  
Shaking his head, Shinji tried to understand what exactly might be going through her head. For the first time in his life, Shinji was starting to understand a girl. And now, he felt completely lost. There was something he was missing. A girl didn't think like a boy and that was the greatest thing he had to get around. Was someone else interfering in this battle? Apollyon? No, he had to stop making up excuses. There was no proof that Apollyon was involved in any way. It was time he tried to overcome his weaknesses and solve this problem.  
  
Sitting down, Shinji closed his eyes. He drew upon the power inside of him, trying to figure out what was happening. The powers had been slowly awakening inside of him and he could feel them pushing to get out. Now was the time to try and figure them out. Time had stopped and he was pretty sure it was because of him and Asuka. The question now was now to reverse it. He had to stop this senseless fighting. Why? Because of Asuka. He opened his eyes and looked over at the two forms.  
  
"You may not know it Asuka, but I care for you more than anyone else in the world. You're all I have. Just wait a little longer."  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
The light receded and the battlefield unfroze. The Angels stopped and looked around, surprised to see all of the monsters gone. Asuka and Shinji were thrown back from the force of their clash and both got back onto their feet. The two looked at each other, both noting a change in the other's eye.  
  
Asuka assumed another stance and prepared to attack, her sword at the ready. Shinji relaxed and shifted from stance to stance, ready to attack and defend at the same time. Asuka made the first move, charging and bringing down her sword. Dodging it with ease, Shinji fought back and knocked aside Asuka's sword. The blade of the lance almost touched Asuka's throat but she jumped back and sidestepped the thrust.  
  
"You'll have to do much better to win," Asuka said with a smile.  
  
"Why are we fighting?" Shinji asked, "Why were we brought you? You never wondered?"  
  
"Of course I have. But I know. If I win, I'll end Third Impact."  
  
"If I win, I could do the same," Shinji replied, "But that's not the true reason you're doing this, is it?"  
  
The smile on Asuka's face disappeared, replaced with a frown.  
  
"You know me too well, Shinji. Sometimes I wonder why I didn't see it before."  
  
"As do I. But why do you care about strength now? I could understand before but now it makes no sense."  
  
"To you it doesn't. But when I win, you will understand."  
  
"Is that all you care about? If you realize how you feel, why doesn't that change anything?"  
  
Asuka frowned. "You're right. It should change a lot of things. But right now, I'm beyond caring. Don't expect me to act as if anything has changed."  
  
Asuka attacked again, this time holding nothing back. However, this time it was Shinji's turn to let a grin creep onto his face.  
  
"Don't expect me to let you off that easily."  
  
Her sword held high, Asuka rushed him and brought it crashing down. At the last moment Shinji disappeared and Asuka's sword struck the ground, cracking it and shaking the entire crater. She pulled out her sword and looked side to side, unable to find him. Suddenly from behind Shinji appeared and kicked her, sending her crashing onto the ground. Asuka got back up and looked at him in surprise.  
  
"But, how?"  
  
"Just because you will act like nothing has changed doesn't mean I will be like that," Shinji answered, "I will not give up on you Asuka. I will never give up."  
  
Asuka snarled and attacked again and again Shinji disappeared from where he was standing. Asuka spun around, ready for an attack from there, but found nothing. Shinji reappeared in his spot and struck Asuka with his lance. She went flying and crumbled on the ground. Struggling to get up, Asuka used her sword as a cane of sorts and prepared to renew the fight.  
  
"How are you doing this!" Asuka demanded.  
  
"When one attains a peace of mind, you can accomplish anything. With your current attitude, you will never understand."  
  
Asuka laughed and charged again.  
  
"I will not lose to you!"  
  
Shinji frowned at her, a look of disappointment on his face.  
  
"Very well. If that is what you choose."  
  
Shinji threw aside his lance and simply stood there. Thinking he was about to pull off that same trick again, Asuka took no chances. She circled around him several times, picking up speed. Finally, when she was nothing more than a blur, she struck. Charging in, Asuka made no sound as her blade struck her target. To her surprise, Shinji made no move to stop her. The sword sliced right through him and came out, blood staining it. The sword came flying out of Asuka's hand as she realized what was happening.  
  
"No. Shinji. No. Shinji!"  
  
"You made the choice, Asuka. Can you live with it?"  
  
Tears streaked down from Asuka's face. This wasn't what she wanted in any way. Why had she done this? What had she done in the past to deserve this cruel twist of fate? Why did she strike the one person that had made a difference in her life.  
  
"Shinji!"  
  
Shinji stood there, staring at her sadly. Tears flowed out of his eyes even as they closed. He opened his arms and waited. Asuka didn't know what drove her but she ran towards him. She ran as fast as she could but everything seemed to slow down. Step after step, time became slower and slower and just as she entered Shinji's embrace, everything stopped.  
  
A massive radiance covered the entire crater and consumed everything in it. Even the raven, in the air and still watching, could not escape it. When the light disappeared, no one remained.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"The test is over."  
  
Those were the first words Shinji heard as he opened his eyes. He was in a large garden and dozens of the robed warriors like those that had fought by his side were gathered around. There was also a woman standing in front of him, wearing a simple white dress. However, she still looked elegant in it. She had flowing brown hair and emerald-like green eyes.  
  
"I am Eve," the woman said, "I welcome you to our Sanctuary."  
  
"How did I get here?" Shinji asked.  
  
"You passed the test. You showed compassion even though you had the power to destroy. You allowed someone weaker to win because you cared about that person. Though you still have much to learn you still won."  
  
Shinji looked at the lance that was planted in the ground. That was the same weapon he had used to face off against Asuka. Remembering what had happened, he felt around for the wound. However, it wasn't there.  
  
"Your body has already healed itself," said Eve, "You are very powerful and will only become more powerful."  
  
"So where is Asuka?" Shinji asked.  
  
Eve made no answer and Shinji realized one wasn't required.  
  
"There are two positions that must be fulfilled," he said, "and Asuka got the second one."  
  
"Yes. She is the Antichrist."  
  
"And what am I?"  
  
"You are the Messiah."  
  
"So. The Messiah. Does that mean anything to anyone else besides you and all these Angels?"  
  
"It means you must stop the Antichrist from taking over the world," Eve answered, "You must return to Earth and face the Antichrist in exactly one month. During the time in which you wait, you will have the chance to prepare and train. You may even continue living with her if you wish but it all depends on you."  
  
"I see. Well, there's no point in really waiting. I might as well go."  
  
"I will accompany you and offer what advice I can," Even said.  
  
"Good. Cause I'll need it."  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Asuka didn't know what to expect when Shinji returned to the apartment. However, something she didn't expect was Eve. When she was ready to strike at Eve Shinji brought up an arm, blocking her. Fuming, Asuka allowed the two to enter. She then studied Shinji's walk and tried to figure out how he was feeling by reading his face and eyes. They were impassive and almost impossible to figure out. But again, that meant little. The raven flew over their heads and landed on her shoulder. This time it was Shinji's turn to frown. It disappeared quickly, however, and he went to his room and closed it. Eve sat down on the couch and closed her eyes.  
  
Knowing neither of them was off guard, Asuka decided to make dinner. Though they may be enemies, she wasn't about to let that interfere with their lives just yet. But how long would it last?  
  
End of Chapter 4  
  
Damn this was hard to write! Okay, I need some info here. You all read the scene above when Asuka runs Shinji through. How would one make that even more heart wrenching?  
  
I'll need some serious feedback before I am able to even start the next chapter for Adaptation and Recrudesce.  
  
Z98 


	6. Reason and Faith

Duet of Truth will live after I finish Adaptation. This one still has some ways to go. Damn. One would think being on vacation would allow some time to rest. But no, since I'm training for a drafting job I am totally exhausted.  
  
Just like to say that Random1377 and Ryoma are damn good at poking jokes in their own fanfics about other fics they've written. And is Random French? He has a fic up in French.  
  
Just out of curiosity, did I ever put up a disclaimer for this fic? Anyways, I don't own EVA.  
  
Recrudesce of Evangelion  
  
Chapter 5: Reason and Faith  
  
The dining room was rather quite as the four ate. Like Shinji, Asuka also had an advisor. However, apparently Apollyon had decided to remain in the form of a raven. He had sat down on the table and was enjoying some fresh meat. Shinji and Eve had a vegetarian meal while Asuka had a combo. No one said anything to anyone else and the tension was high at the table. Apollyon observed Eve and Shinji with his beady eyes, careful to not be seen doing this. Having eyes on the side of your head did help. Shinji paid little attention to Apollyon or Asuka but the two women kept glaring at each other. If the situation hadn't been so serious one might have found it amusing. When they had finished, Shinji took all of the dishes and washed them with Eve's help. Though it wasn't needed this did provide an opportunity for the two to talk in private.  
  
"You are aware of who the raven really is," Eve said.  
  
"Yes. Apollyon. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised to see him. So tell me, what's the story with you two?"  
  
Eve stuttered for a few seconds and Shinji merely smiled at her.  
  
"I am not completely naïve. Also, being the Messiah does give me a sixth sense on many things."  
  
"I see," Eve said, blushing. "How much do you know?"  
  
"Know what? You seem to be forgetting that I know nothing regarding your relationship with him. Do you truly want me to pry into that?"  
  
"No, I guess not. But why do you ask?"  
  
"You say you are my advisor. I would hope you will also be a friend."  
  
Eve smiled and nodded. "So like a wise leader. You do know what Apollyon was trying to do before, right?"  
  
"He was trying to make me evil. If he had succeeded, there would be no final battle. The legions of Hell would have won."  
  
"I see the transformation was complete. How do you plan on winning?" Eve asked.  
  
"By letting Asuka's pride win."  
  
In the living room Apollyon and Asuka were having a similar conversation. Having perched himself on Asuka's shoulder, Apollyon waited as she channel- surfed. Amazingly the TV station was still broadcasting and the stuff was at least decent entertainment.  
  
"Why were we chosen?" Asuka asked.  
  
"Because out of all of humanity, the two of you were the strongest," Apollyon answered.  
  
"So who is stronger, me or Shinji?"  
  
"On the testing ground Shinji proved to be the more powerful. However, when the final battle comes, you must be the better warrior."  
  
"Damn right I will be. No one bests me and gets away with it."  
  
Asuka's mood had turned darker ever since the test. She had no idea how Shinji had avoided her blade and she now felt no guilt at striking him down like that. But what rankled her the most was the simple fact that Shinji had moved so fast. Impossibly fast actually, so fast that she was sure Shinji was literally moving at the speed of light if not faster. But how was that possible? No one should be able to do that. And if Shinji could, could she duplicate that feat? Well, she'd have to if she wanted to defeat him.  
  
"How did he move so quickly?" Asuka asked.  
  
"He did not. The Messiah has the ability to stop time itself and move amongst that which has stopped."  
  
"And how am I supposed to defeat that?"  
  
"He cannot move that quickly but that doesn't mean you cannot," Apollyon pointed out, "The two powers are different but they both are for the same end. To move while time has stopped."  
  
"The laws of physics forbid such movement," Asuka stated.  
  
"But we are not bound by laws. We are only bound by the limits of our power. In the end, the one that wins is the one whose power has developed more."  
  
"And I will be the stronger."  
  
A strange look appeared on Asuka's face. She wasn't in pain or anything, it was as if she was struggling with herself. Part of her told her to run away from being the Antichrist and try to work things out with Shinji. Who else did she have? Being alone had already nearly gotten herself killed and that side kept arguing for her to just try to get things to return to their normal state.  
  
That side was getting beaten and silenced by her new psyche. It had only emerged after Asuka realized what she had become but now was the dominant mindset in Asuka's brain.  
  
"Screw this," Asuka said harshly.  
  
She turned off the TV and got up, forcing Apollyon to take flight or be knocked off balance. He fluttered in the air for a few seconds but settled into a hover over Asuka's head.  
  
"Let's go," Asuka said.  
  
"Where to?"  
  
"The roof. I want to get some training done."  
  
Asuka grabbed her sword and ran out of the apartment. Shinji took note of this but did nothing. When Eve moved to follow Shinji grabbed her arm, stopping her.  
  
"Let her be. You won't get anywhere watching her."  
  
"But-"  
  
"We'll easily sense any spike in Asuka's powers. Besides, she's too prideful to hide them from us."  
  
"Apollyon might change that," Eve pointed out.  
  
"If he does, he'll have done me a favor. Teaching her some subtlety is a good thing and something that would take a lot of energy on my part to do."  
  
"But she will be using that subtlety against you," Eve persisted.  
  
Shinji merely smiled. "Yes she will be. But she won't be the only one training. I can already stop time but when time has stopped I move far slower than when time is moving. I think it is time to remedy that. Shall we?"  
  
He put away the last dish and disappeared in a blue haze. Eve sighed and quickly followed him. They reappeared in the hills outside the outskirts of the city. Shinji had his lance with him, as did Eve. Both were also now fully armored in white.  
  
"Shall we begin?" he said.  
  
Eve nodded and raised her lance. Time seemed to freeze but she was one of the few that could move in this state of being. Shinji started running. Shinji was right, he was a lot slower here. Eve began to dodge and found that she was having the same problems. For some reason here their movements were sluggish at best, frozen at best. Eve managed to dodge the first attack barely, seeing Shinji's blade just touch her armor. It was too close for comfort. Shinji continued his run but slid to a stop. He turned around and looked at her. His movements seemed to echo as Eve saw the movements vibrate.  
  
Shinji raised his lance again and Eve saw what looked like a copy of that same movement slightly ahead of it. The actual movement seemed to be at the center of the flutter. Apparently when time was frozen, the movements echoed both in the past and future of their state. Could she use that to predict his movements?  
  
Apparently Shinji had realized the same thing. He lunged again but instead of using his lance he kicked her in the chest. The movements were too close for Eve to dodge and she was knocked back. Time unfroze and Eve landed hard.  
  
"Ouch," she said, rubbing the impact point. "I didn't know you were that strong."  
  
"I'm not. Apparently the echoes also add their force to the blow when time is frozen."  
  
"Interesting side-effect. I've never fought under those conditions but I must say, that will be useful when the time comes."  
  
"But I am still too slow. Asuka can't freeze time like me so she's going to try to move so fast that it doesn't matter. Will that affect her in the same way?"  
  
"Most likely," said Eve, "but for now let's concentrate on getting you faster. Asuka may be able to break the time barrier, but she still has to overcome the speed limitations there. Being able to move normally should give you an advantage."  
  
"Shall we try again?"  
  
Eve nodded.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"Damn it!"  
  
Asuka was panting and exhausted. However, she would not admit it. The training had been intense at best, murderous at worst. She was pushing herself to overcome the speed limitations but had little success.  
  
"You are already far faster than any mere mortal," Apollyon said, "You must allow your body time to adapt to its new powers. Trying to continue at your current pace will only kill you."  
  
"Better than being cut to pieces while completely defenseless," Asuka snapped, "If Shinji can stop time, I have to move fast enough to counter that ability or else I'm dead."  
  
"Perhaps, but you won't even get the chance to face him if you continue like this. Rest. It is better that way."  
  
Assuming another stance, Asuka was about to continue her training when suddenly her body gave way and she collapsed. Apollyon quickly flew over behind her, using his back to help slow her descent. Once Asuka was nearly touching the ground Apollyon zipped out from behind her and flew over her.  
  
"As I said, you need rest. How am I supposed to get you back into the apartment?"  
  
"If you had a human form you could do it," Asuka replied, "but no, you had to remain as a raven."  
  
"I will remain a raven until your victory," said Apollyon, "I will go for assistance."  
  
"No!"  
  
Asuka snapped back up, immediately regretting it. She collapsed again her body wrecked with pain.  
  
"You need rest and only Shinji can help you. I suggest you remain there or else you may injure yourself even further."  
  
Apollyon took off towards the park while Asuka rolled over onto her stomach. She tried using her arms and legs to crawl back, but she had just made it to the stairs when she fainted. Her body had been taxed to the extreme and now she could go no further.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Shinji was resting when he saw the raven circling above. It descended and landed on the bench next to him.  
  
"Asuka requires your assistance," he said, "She collapsed after pushing herself too hard."  
  
Shinji nodded and waved to Eve. She walked over and after eyeing Apollyon looked at Shinji.  
  
"I'm going back to help Asuka," he said, "The two of you get her bed ready. Go now."  
  
While technically Apollyon didn't obey the Messiah, this instance was to help his mistress. Both shimmered and disappeared, Apollyon's form dematerializing with a red glow instead of the blue of Eve's form. Shinji shimmered himself and arrived on the roof, finding the unconscious Asuka just lying there. He walked over and checked her pulse to make sure she was still alive. Her breathing was also strong so all she needed was rest. Shinji picked her up and shimmered back to her room. Eve and Apollyon had already pulled off the sheets. Asuka was laid down gently by Shinji and Apollyon pulled the cover over her. He remained behind in the room and settled down for the wait. Shinji and Eve left the two.  
  
"Apollyon shouldn't be pushing Asuka so hard," Eve commented.  
  
"I doubt he is," said Shinji, "Asuka is probably the one fighting to become better."  
  
"Really? I knew Asuka could be tenacious and stubborn but I didn't think she was suicidal."  
  
"That can be arguable. Right now I just don't know what Asuka is thinking or what she is trying. But if she keeps this up, her own pride will be her undoing, not me. Perhaps being the Antichrist has magnified her pride."  
  
"That is always a possibility. Being the Messiah has given you a great deal of insight."  
  
"I'm going to take a shower and go to bed," Shinji declared, "Keep this in mind though. Asuka may be the Antichrist, but she is still Asuka. Her same faults still exist, as do mine."  
  
"And what flaws still exist within you?" Eve asked.  
  
"If you can call it a flaw, kindness."  
  
Shinji disappeared into his room, leaving Eve stunned. She had encountered many candidates that were close but not quite fitting the requirements, and the one thing that made the Messiah what he was, Shinji considered it a flaw. Something was definitely wrong with that picture. Shinji was the most powerful being alive along with the Antichrist, both embodying the spirit of light or darkness, and both should be embracing their strengths. However, he was questioning them instead.  
  
"Shinji, why are you acting this way?"  
  
After getting his clothes Shinji went to the bathroom for a quick shower. With that out of the way he dropped onto his bed and was asleep in a matter of seconds. Stopping time required a great deal of power and he was exhausted from the training. But there was progress. He simply hoped that progress would result in success by the end of the month.  
  
Eve was pacing outside on the roof, trying to figure out what was going on. After living for so long, it was hard to concentrate at times. Normally a person would have gone insane with boredom but she had survived it all. And the worst part about this? The person she had known and respected approximately two thousand fifteen years ago had apparently also changed with being reborn. Something was very wrong with Shinji Ikari and it wasn't just his current mental state. Had more damage been done to his psyche while his memories had been repressed? Or had something else taken hold? Apollyon might have succeeded in planting something dark inside Shinji, but she should have noticed. That would be a very dangerous situation.  
  
"Eve."  
  
Eve looked over and saw Apollyon perched on the edge of the roof.  
  
"Apollyon. What brings you up here?"  
  
"There is something wrong with Asuka."  
  
"There is also something wrong with Shinji. Do you suspect me?"  
  
"One would think you also suspect me," Apollyon replied, "However, the current circumstances made it impossible for either of us to have done anything. I did not have enough time to manipulate Shinji, and Asuka was too rebellious for you to work with."  
  
"True enough," said Eve, "Perhaps their experiences as Shinji Ikari and Asuka Langley Soryu is the cause."  
  
"But their experiences as mortals was supposed to make them stronger," Apollyon pointed out, "This is no mere coincidence. Something happened to those two and it is something neither of us is aware of."  
  
"We both watched all of the candidates," said Eve, "Toji and Rei included. Kaworu was excluded from the selection immediately because he was a child of Adam."  
  
"And Rei was nearly excluded because of the conditions of her creation," Apollyon added, "Toji was the only other potential. Did we make another mistake?"  
  
"No," Eve quickly said, "We made no mistake in the final candidate selection. These two are the only ones that fit, but I wonder if our search was too restrictive. We manipulated events to get results but the results were often times unacceptable. That is why we eliminated Rei and Toji. Both Shinji and Asuka survived the Human Instrumentality Project and returned to Earth. That made our choice obvious."  
  
"And it seemed we made the correct one. Until now."  
  
"I don't think so," said Eve, "Again, something is affecting them, but we can do nothing about it. I say we leave them be for now and see how the final battle goes."  
  
"You place too much trust on untested individuals," said Apollyon, "We are talking about the final battle. If they cannot cut it, we are doomed and all that we worked for, both sides, was for nothing."  
  
"That is your opinion."  
  
"Damnation. Eve, you know what is at stake. I suggest you be more careful."  
  
Apollyon took off and flew down back to Asuka's room. She was still sleeping and Apollyon nested down on her desk. Tomorrow was another day.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"Momma."  
  
That was the only thing Asuka could think about. She was once again suspended in a dream, partially asleep and partially in this other world. The ground came closer as Asuka made her descent. When she touched the ground, her eyes snapped open and she was standing in an oasis of peace.  
  
"Where am I?" Asuka asked no one in particular.  
  
A few vague forms drifted past her. She didn't know who they were but did know they were human. The landscape turned from a cool blue to a stifling orange. Now the forms were clearer, more focused. As they drifted past Asuka they made no shadows on the ground, though there was light. How strange, she thought. Asuka continued walking but felt some resistance. Some sort of liquid flowed around her as she placed one foot in front of the other. And yet, she could still breathe. Was all this LCL? An ocean of LCL? Now that was just weird.  
  
The walk in this strange sea stopped dead in its tracks when Asuka saw a tint of red hair pass her. It was short red hair.  
  
"Momma?"  
  
She spun around and started chasing after the woman.  
  
"Is that you? Momma!"  
  
The woman stopped and turned around. Asuka beheld a kind and loving face, smiling down at her. The eyes weren't like the crazed ones she'd seen before her mother's death. These were compassionate and caring.  
  
"Momma!"  
  
Asuka ran into the woman's arms and hugged tightly.  
  
"I'll never leave, Momma. I'll never leave you again."  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"Shinji, wake up!"  
  
Shinji fell out of his bed, knocking Eve off balance. Both tumbled down onto the floor, Shinji hitting his head hard on the ground while Eve rubbed her bottom.  
  
"Now that was unexpected," she said, "Shinji, get up. Something's wrong with Asuka."  
  
"What!"  
  
That did it. Shinji bolted out of the room, going from kneeing on all four to running in seconds. He slammed open Asuka's door and found Apollyon looking over her nervously. The raven looked up at the sound and saw Shinji standing at the doorway, panting.  
  
"What's wrong?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Asuka's getting cold," Apollyon replied, "She's dying. It's as if she's lost the will to live."  
  
"What? But that's impossible. Why would she want to die?"  
  
Shinji walked over and pulled away Asuka's sheets. He then gasped. Part of Asuka's legs were liquefying into LCL.  
  
"No," he muttered, "Not this."  
  
Eve appeared behind Shinji and looked at Asuka's legs. Her eyes narrowed.  
  
"She is being absorbed by something in the LCL ocean," she declared, "but what's strong enough to pull her away like this?"  
  
Shinji dropped to his knees and placed a hand on Asuka's forehead. It was ice-cold. While normally this was a good thing, this was hardly normal. Shinji took Asuka's hand, feeling the cold touch.  
  
"Asuka. Why?"  
  
Shinji closed his eyes and started crying.  
  
"You're the strongest person I know. What would make you run away like this?"  
  
"Mo-oma."  
  
It was barely a whisper but Shinji heard it. He looked at Asuka's lips but saw no sign of movement. Had it been his imagination? No, he'd seen her like this before. It was the night before the battle with the 7th Angel. Her mother?  
  
"Eve, what's the story with Asuka and her mother?" Shinji asked, his voice tense.  
  
"Asuka's mother committed suicide when Asuka was very young," Apollyon answered instead, "She had gone insane after an activation experiment with Unit 02."  
  
"That would explain it," said Shinji, "Where is Asuka's soul right now?"  
  
"With the rest of humanity," said Eve, "Her body is deteriorating. If we don't get her back soon, it'll be gone just like the others."  
  
"A person that has died before. Could they also be absorbed?"  
  
"Yes," Eve answered.  
  
"I think Asuka found her mother."  
  
Shinji stood up. "That's why Asuka is willing to run away. She's happy."  
  
Apollyon and Eve looked at each other.  
  
"She cannot be allowed to do this," said Eve, "If Asuka runs away, the final battle will not take place and all of humanity will stay lost."  
  
Shinji spun and faced her, his face contorted with anger.  
  
"What do you want me to do, strip Asuka away from the only thing that's made her happy?"  
  
"It is a false sense of happiness," said Apollyon, "This is something that even I find unacceptable. Both of you have a role that must be fulfilled, or else the world will remain in utter chaos. That is not our goal. We are here to determine what shall happen to humanity."  
  
"So we're being used again?" Shinji snapped, "How is that any different than piloting EVAs? Why can't we get a chance to do what we want?"  
  
"You would not be here if you did not want to be," Apollyon stated.  
  
Shinji turned and lashed out at the raven. Apollyon quickly took flight and avoided the blow as Eve restrained him.  
  
"You don't get it, do you?" she said, "This is more than simply determining humanity's fate. This is another path that you are using to search for happiness."  
  
"And Asuka's found it," Shinji shouted, "Why can't you leave her alone?"  
  
"I doubt she has found happiness," Apollyon said, "Look at her."  
  
Shinji did and saw tears streaking out of Asuka's closed eyes. Why was she crying? Hadn't she found her mother? Wasn't that enough? He knew he would be happy to see his mother again.  
  
"It is not that Asuka is not happy," said Eve, "It is that she is not content."  
  
"She doesn't need to be content to be happy," Shinji responded.  
  
"Who are you trying to fool now?" Eve asked, "You must choose what to do for Asuka's sake, not for your own or what you think is what Asuka wants. You must do what you know Asuka needs."  
  
Shinji looked at the sleeping form and calmed down. Eve released him and he knelt down next to Asuka's bed. He started crying. There were many ways to attain happiness, but none of them were easy. Asuka had found something she wanted to hold on so much that she was willing to die for it. But unknown to her, so did Shinji. He kissed her on the forehead and wiped away her tears.  
  
"I'll bring you back," he said, "I promise you that."  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Asuka was walking down the street with Shinji and his sister, Rei. It wasn't as if she really wanted to walk with them, it was more a matter of convenience. Rei was nice enough but her twin brother was a complete dork. He had so scrawny it was as if he was a stick. And the worst part? For some reason Shinji had been the only one that could help her at so many times. It annoyed the hell out of her but he did have some uses. One was carrying all of their schoolbags, something that Rei took advantage of too. At least it helped build up some muscles in him.  
  
"So Rei, are you coming to the party? It's going to be great."  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Hey Shinji, want to come join us girls?" Asuka said seductively.  
  
Handling women was not Shinji's strong point, as his stuttering proved.  
  
"Umm, well, I, uh, well, I'm not sure, I should, uh, come."  
  
"Grow a damn spine already!" Asuka ranted.  
  
"Sorry."  
  
Asuka glared at him and Shinji wilted.  
  
"I don't know why I hang around with you," she spat.  
  
"Because you like him."  
  
Asuka froze and turned around to face Rei.  
  
"What did you say!"  
  
Rei was unfazed by Asuka's outburst. She simply looked at the redhead, her face impassive.  
  
"Ooo, one of these days you'll stop being my friend."  
  
A small smile appeared on Rei's face as Asuka turned away. It was probably a good thing the redhead hadn't seen it.  
  
"Shinji, you're coming and that's that. And it's not because I like you, it's because I'm the only girl that can get you to grow a spine."  
  
Sheesh, Asuka thought. One would think that boy would grow up into a man or something. So proper and boring. Hope he doesn't turn out like his twin sister. I guess she's okay, though she does need to get out more. Shinji at least knows how to live life, I think. Cute butt though.  
  
Asuka shook her head, getting that last thought out.  
  
What is wrong with me? Why did I think that? Damn it, why do I think like a pervert whenever I'm around Shinji? Heh, he's probably rubbing off on me. Rubbing off. Ah! Stop already!  
  
Asuka growled and crashed that train of thought.  
  
"Asuka!"  
  
Asuka spun around, staring at Shinji. He stared back and looked afraid, as if he'd done something wrong.  
  
"Did you call my name?" Asuka asked.  
  
Shinji blinked. "What?"  
  
"Asuka!"  
  
Asuka spun around again. The voice seemed to be coming from behind her every time it sounded. What was going on?  
  
"All right, who's throwing their voice around? Shinji, is it you?"  
  
"N-no!" Shinji protested, "I'd never do anything like that! I don't even know how to!"  
  
"Yeah right. Rei, is it your brother?"  
  
"No."  
  
Asuka's eyes narrowed. Rei rarely lied and she was sure she probably hadn't this time either. So where was that voice coming from? Shaking her head, Asuka tried to drive that thought out of her head and continued walking. They reached the apartment complex all of them lived in and went to their respective apartments. Kyoko was in the kitchen when Asuka came in.  
  
"I'm home," she declared.  
  
"Welcome home. How was school?"  
  
"Fine. I invited Shinji to the party but he's acting like a complete coward. God I wish he would grow a spine!"  
  
Kyoko smiled and turned to look at her daughter.  
  
"Are you sure you just don't have a crush on him?" she teased.  
  
"Mom! I would never go out with someone like him!"  
  
"Oh I don't see why you wouldn't. Besides, he is a childhood friend."  
  
"Yeah, one with no spine."  
  
"Now Asuka. Be nice to him and maybe he'll take you to the dance."  
  
"What!"  
  
Kyoko laughed as her daughter's face turned bright red. Asuka was too easy to tease sometimes.  
  
"Asuka!"  
  
There it was again! Something was calling out to her, and it sounded like Shinji. Where was it coming from? Asuka looked around the room but saw nothing. Growing frustrated, Asuka started to search the room. She peeked under the couch and behind some of the furniture but found nothing. Then, she noticed a small crack in the wallpaper. She walked over and touched it. Nothing happened. Asuka peeled back some of it and found something orange behind the wall. What was that?  
  
She touched the substance and her fingers punched into the substance. It was like some kind of liquid, but somehow was staying together. Asuka took her hand out of the stuff and it reformed into a solid. Asuka peeled more of the wallpaper off and found the entire wall was made of the stuff.  
  
"Hey Mom, can you come and look at this? Mom?"  
  
Asuka turned around and found that the wallpaper was disappearing in the entire apartment and her mother was gone. She made a run for the door but it too disappeared.  
  
"Someone help me!"  
  
Suddenly she felt a shadow behind her and turned around. There, standing in the center of all this weirdness, was Shinji. But this Shinji was different from the one she was talking to before. The Shinji before her was calmer and had a determined look on his face. His eyes were also intense.  
  
"Shinji? Shinji, you have to help me! What's going on here!"  
  
"Actually, you might say I caused this," Shinji said, "We're losing you to the unified being of humanity and I'm doing what I can to bring you back. Everything around you right now is simply an illusion. You're inside an ocean of LCL where AT-Fields do not exist. You're one with everyone."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Your mother died a long time again, Asuka. How else would she be here? Come back to the real world."  
  
It was then that her real memories flooded back. Asuka screamed out and fell to her knees, going into a fetal position. All the pain she had experienced came rushing back and it took her some time to finally beat it back.  
  
"I don't want to," she finally said.  
  
"It's true, who would? With the world in chaos and everyone else gone, you want to run away and hide here," Shinji said, "But there is a reason why you should come back."  
  
"What?"  
  
"To end that pain. You think being here will make you happy? No. Unless you are capable of feeling pain, you can never feel true happiness. I learned that the hard way. Don't make my mistakes too, Asuka."  
  
"Why should you give a damn if I'm happy!" Asuka screamed, "You don't care about me!"  
  
"If I didn't care, I would have left you and let your body deteriorate. I have not."  
  
"You're only doing this because of what we are," Asuka insisted sobbingly, "You're only doing this because we have to fight this final battle. I don't want to!"  
  
"Why? Is it because you don't want to fight me?"  
  
"Yes! Leave me alone! I want to be alone!"  
  
"You've spent your entire life alone. You've never had the chance to be together with anyone and yet you insist you don't need it. Give it a chance, Asuka. Perhaps you'll find you might like it."  
  
"No! You're lying! You're just trying to get me back!"  
  
Shinji approached her and knelt down beside her. He took her hand and looked her straight in the eye.  
  
"Of course I want you back. But I also want you to be happy and you won't be happy here. Come on back. Once this is over, I'll do my best to make you happy."  
  
She wasn't sure what made her do it, but Asuka nodded and let Shinji pull her back up and guide her. Without knowing it, Asuka stepped out of the false reality and returned to where she belonged.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Asuka opened her eyes slowly, her eyes adjusting easily to the dim light. She turned her head slightly and saw Shinji sitting next to her bed, looking down on her. She cracked a slight smile before her face turned stone cold. A quiet fury burned inside of her. She had needed his help to return. She still wasn't strong enough.  
  
"Get out," she ordered.  
  
There was no visible reaction on Shinji's part. He merely got up and left the room. Apollyon slipped in and perched on the desk. Asuka ignored him and closed her eyes again. She would get stronger and beat him, no matter what.  
  
End of Chapter 5  
  
Just a side note. I will do my utmost to not sacrifice quality for faster updates. What that means is as the story progresses, the story will be updated slower and slower. Besides, I have a job now and I am so bloody stressed. And getting two hours less sleep than normal isn't helping. Isn't summer vacation supposed to let you get more sleep?!  
  
Another reason why updates will be slower. My attention is split between several different stories. There is one in particular that I need a lot of advice on. It is called Gathering of Force and is an original fic. Just go to fictionpress.com and go under my profile and you'll see it.  
  
Z98 


	7. Breaking the Ice

One of the reviewers that disliked this fic said it was too unbelievable. However, anyone who has read some of my other works like Flight and Adaptation as well as Humanity's Faith might notice that those are rather unbelievable too. I always try to have a reason for such things. And what the hell does 'doesn't compromise' mean!  
  
Anyways, onto the story.  
  
Recrudesce of Evangelion  
  
Chapter 6: Breaking the Ice  
  
Shinji jumped from tree to tree, assailing Eve at every turn. She did her best to avoid his blows but Shinji was too fast. And the fact that she was still moving in slow motion didn't help either. Shinji had figured out a trick that allowed him to move normally in this stilled state, but a moment of lost concentration could bring him crashing down. He had been training with a quiet determination for the last two weeks and now seemed poised to reach his goal, the ability to move faster than the eye could see while time was frozen. Such a feat would give him an incredible advantage over Asuka once the battle came. But would it come down to it? Would Asuka even survive the rest of the month?  
  
A smack echoed as Shinji suddenly ran into a tree branch and fell, time flowing again. He fell out of the air and was saved by Eve who caught him.  
  
"You're thoughts are wandering again," she stated.  
  
"Sorry. I just have a lot to think about."  
  
"Asuka?"  
  
Shinji nodded as Eve let him go and he stood.  
  
"She's probably pushing herself beyond her limits right now, slowly killing her body."  
  
"Do not worry about her. After what happened last time, Apollyon is doing his utmost to keep her under control."  
  
"I hope so. He'll have to answer to me if she gets hurt again."  
  
Eve smiled. "I like that about you. You're always compassionate for others, even one who is supposed to be your greatest enemy."  
  
Shinji frowned and looked away.  
  
"That compassion may be my weakness. But Asuka shouldn't be my enemy. We shouldn't be fighting each other."  
  
Eve listened patiently as Shinji continued to talk. This was now an old argument but she saw through it. Shinji cared about Asuka, more than he had cared about anyone before. Why? It was a simple enough reason. Love. Above all else, it was love. It had to be. What odd twist of fate had brought these two who should love together in such a horrible way? The two deserved better, that was for certain. Shinji and Asuka represented the best that humanity had to offer and at times like this Eve pitied both greatly. But the will of the Host had to be carried out. The two must fight the final battle.  
  
"Shall we go back?" Eve asked.  
  
Shinji nodded and the two teleported away.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Asuka cursed as she collapsed again. She used her sword, Excalibur, as a cane and tried to remain standing. Apollyon watched from his perch as his charge struggled to get back onto her feet.  
  
"You need to learn humility," he stated.  
  
"I know," Asuka snapped, "But since I'm the Antichrist does it matter if I'm vain and spiteful?"  
  
"Yes. You will not defeat the Messiah unless you learn how to control yourself."  
  
"Fine. But don't expect me to change overnight."  
  
Asuka assumed another stance and suddenly disappeared. A millisecond later she reappeared, completely winded. She staggered and Apollyon flew over, grabbing her shirt with his talons and keeping her up. She used her sword as a support and remained standing. Apollyon then returned to his perch.  
  
"I did it," she said, "I actually did it."  
  
"So you broke the Temporal Barrier," said Apollyon, "It may not be enough."  
  
"What? What do you mean? Didn't Shinji just lose his advantage?"  
  
"Perhaps. But you must also realize that the Messiah can also adapt. He would most likely realize what you are trying to accomplish and will attempt to counter it."  
  
Asuka growled. "Fine. I'll just get faster and faster."  
  
"I suggest we conclude for today," said Apollyon, "You are tired and need rest."  
  
Apollyon took off and flew down to the apartment. Asuka shimmered and reappeared inside her room just as he came in the window.  
  
"Fine. Who's cooking for today?"  
  
"I believe it is your turn."  
  
Cursing, Asuka went to prepare dinner. She had wanted to make Shinji do all the cooking, but both Eve and Apollyon had found that unacceptable. Eve because she did not want Shinji to be always burdened with chores and Apollyon because he felt it was an unnecessary risk having Shinji cook all the time.  
  
Like that idiot would ever try poison, Asuka thought. Shinji was too kind for that.  
  
Asuka briefly considered adding some poison of her own but thought better. If Shinji didn't detect it, Eve would. She didn't know why Apollyon was so worried about it. Dinner was fried rice with a few side dishes. As always, the meals were quiet. After it was done Apollyon and Eve took the dishes. Asuka wasn't sure how Apollyon could do anything at the sink but didn't complain. It saved her from washing and she was fine with that.  
  
She got up and went to the living room and sat down, contemplating what had happened two weeks ago. She should have been strong enough to get back on her own. Why had she needed that idiot's help?  
  
Shinji walked into the room, interrupting Asuka's train of thought. He was carrying a glass of red wine.  
  
Where did he get that? Asuka thought.  
  
Shinji noticed her look and answered her unspoken question.  
  
"Apollyon raided one of the stores in what's left of downtown," he said, "He brought back a few bottles of wine."  
  
Asuka raised an eyebrow.  
  
"And the perfect Messiah is willing to drink something that was stolen?" she said sarcastically.  
  
Shinji took a seat on the other lazy boy and took a sip.  
  
"No one is perfect, Asuka. Not me or you. One would think Apollyon had taught you that."  
  
Asuka frowned. Shinji was rather confident of himself right now. Why? It wasn't like he had any reason to be confident. But then again, he was not aware of her progress. This brought on another thought. She didn't know how Shinji was doing either. Was there a way to spy on him while he trained? Asuka logged that thought away for further brainstorming later.  
  
"Mind getting me a glass?" she asked.  
  
A bottle of wine and another crystal glass floated in. The bottle dipped down and filled the glass before turning upright again. The wine bottle settled down on the table and the glass floated over to Asuka. She took it and sipped it.  
  
"Nice," she commented.  
  
"Normally would cost five thousand American dollars," Shinji informed her, "A few hundred thousand yen."  
  
"More," Asuka replied, "A lot of the prices are really inflated here."  
  
Shinji nodded in agreement. "And to think that we have it all to ourselves."  
  
Asuka cracked a smile just as a darker thought occurred to her. Was Shinji trying to get her to let her guard down? Possibly. The wine might make her drunk and she might accidentally let something slip. And there was something deep inside her that she didn't want Shinji to know. Asuka put down the wineglass.  
  
"I've had enough, thank you."  
  
"Alcohol won't affect us," Shinji said, as if reading her mind. "Apparently our bodies have changed slightly. We could down a glass of cyanide and not be harmed."  
  
Now that was interesting, Asuka thought.  
  
She waved at the glass and it floated back to her hand. The wine was too good to waste so she continued drinking.  
  
Back in the kitchen Apollyon and Eve watched silently as their masters keep each other company.  
  
"Why does it not surprise me that Asuka needs someone to be with her?" Eve said.  
  
"Because she is human, just like Shinji. Humans need to interact with each other because they are social creatures."  
  
"There are few absolutes with humans, and that is one of them," said Eve, "I'm going to get some air. Care to join me?"  
  
"Always."  
  
Eve opened the door and Apollyon flew out with her behind. They went upstairs to the roof and emerged to see a glorious sunset.  
  
"Beautiful," Eve commented.  
  
"In its own way, it is," said Apollyon.  
  
"The two are falling in love. Can you feel it?"  
  
"Yes. It is unfortunate."  
  
"What is unfortunate is that they are destined to be the other's greatest enemy," said Eve, "It is not unfortunate that they are falling in love."  
  
"They are in love already," said Apollyon, "This only serves to weaken them."  
  
"No," said Eve, "It serves to strengthen them. For Shinji it gives him a reason to defeat Asuka, to show her the truth."  
  
"And for Asuka it makes her wish for the death of her love even more," said Apollyon, "In the end, it will be a tragedy that will do great damage to both."  
  
"Physical, perhaps, but hopefully in the end it will strengthen them spiritually."  
  
"You have a great deal of optimism," Apollyon noted, "but will optimism change the outcome of the final battle?"  
  
"No, but hope can."  
  
If a raven could smile, Apollyon would have done so now. Deep inside, Eve still had the hope that he would return to her, a hope that Apollyon was well aware of. In many ways it was vain and selfish, but he supposed that even celestial beings had the right to their wishes.  
  
"For what it's worth, I am not here to hurt you," he stated.  
  
"I hope I can believe that," Eve replied.  
  
Apollyon bowed, his tail rising upwards and his head dipping down. It was slightly comical to see a bird bowing but no one was there to laugh.  
  
"Until tomorrow," he said.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Asuka giggled as she took another sip of the wine. Shinji was right, the alcohol wasn't affecting her. She was actually enjoying Shinji's company. How odd was that? Now that she thought about it, she always had enjoyed the young man's company. Though why she did was a mystery. There was that time when this girl, Mana, came and became interested in Shinji. She'd felt jealous though at the time she'd tried to conceal it.  
  
"You sure this wine doesn't affect us?" Asuka joked.  
  
"I seem to be fine," Shinji answered, his voice even and controlled.  
  
"Well maybe you're just pretending and this wine really will hinder my judgment and you're just waiting to take advantage of me," Asuka teased.  
  
"Asuka, would I ever do anything like that?" Shinji asked seriously.  
  
"No, you wouldn't have the guts too. A real shame though, if you had some more courage I might have been interested in you before."  
  
Asuka heard a chuckle but when she looked over Shinji had already covered his mouth with the wineglass. Her eyes narrowed and she glared at him.  
  
"What was that Third Child?" she asked.  
  
"Oh, simply that you were too busy gawking over Kaji to notice me."  
  
"Humph! Don't even try to compare yourself to Kaji. He was far superior to you."  
  
"I won't comment on that since I don't want to burst your bubble," Shinji replied. Maybe the alcohol was affecting him. He felt a bit more carefree. "Say Asuka, Apollyon hasn't assumed his human form yet right?"  
  
"What! That bird has a human form!"  
  
Shinji looked at her in surprise, her outburst catching him off guard.  
  
"Yeah. I talked with him before in my dreams, remember when I told you?"  
  
Asuka thought about it and realized Shinji was right. He had mentioned some man calling him the Antichrist. Boy, was he ever wrong. That position fell to Asuka.  
  
"Yeah. Ooh, he's going to get it when I get my hands on him. All this time I needed a sparring partner and he's just stood there, not even showing me his true form!"  
  
"I'm sure he has his reasons," said Shinji, "If you want, I can be your sparring partner."  
  
Asuka chuckled. "And why would you offer to help me get stronger?"  
  
"Wouldn't I get stronger as well?"  
  
"Point. Very well Third Child, I'll allow you the honor of sparring with me. But don't try anything perverted, cause you'll regret it."  
  
"How am I supposed to do anything perverted when sparring?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Well, you might try to cut my clothes off."  
  
Shinji smiled and leaned his head back.  
  
"Asuka, you're the one who keeps coming up with this stuff. Maybe you're the perverted one."  
  
Asuka gasped and gave Shinji an indignant look. He merely smiled at her, making it very hard for her to keep a straight face.  
  
"Whatever. I feel like taking a long bath. Expect to be waiting for a long time," Asuka warned.  
  
She set down the wineglass and grabbed some clothes from her room before going to the bathroom. Shinji leaned back against the couch and took another sip, contemplating what his next move was. It had been an enjoyable moment as they conversed. He hoped there would be more of that.  
  
Movement caught his eye by the window. He glanced over and thought he saw blue hair. Blue hair? Shinji got up and walked over. He opened the door and walked onto the porch. There was no one outside. Had he been imagining it? No, he'd seen something. Maybe tomorrow he could investigate providing Asuka didn't keep him busy all day.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Dreams were supposed to help the human mind rest and work out things, in theory at least. That did not turn out to be the case with both Shinji and Asuka. It could be said that both saw a premonition of the battle to come.  
  
The two mighty beings were suddenly filled with power they were only beginning to understand. The very air itself was afire around Asuka while light shined out from Shinji. Both still had their respective weapons, the Lance of Longinus and the sword Excalibur. Fire swept down the blade of Excalibur and Asuka charged at Shinji. She seemed to be moving in slow motion as Shinji moved aside gracefully and quickly. He kept dodging, not throwing any attacks back at her. Asuka cursed and again tried to drive her sword into Shinji. This time he blocked and an aura of white light surrounded the lance.  
  
Energy built up as the two locked blades, the two opposite forces building up. Finally an explosion erupted and threw both back. Neither had much trouble landing gently on their feet. Asuka grinned and raised her sword again. Shinji had a more solemn look but readied himself as well. It was then that both felt themselves being torn away from the battle and woke up.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Asuka threw her sheets aside and got out of bed. Apollyon sensed the noise and woke up as well, barely avoiding getting covered by the sheets. He fluttered aside and watched Asuka leave the room and head towards the bathroom.  
  
When she came to the door she heard water running in the sink. Asuka peeked in and saw Shinji splashing his face with cold water. She walked in and stood next to him.  
  
"Dream?" she asked.  
  
"Something like that."  
  
"Same here."  
  
Shinji moved over and got a rag and wiped his face dry while Asuka let the cold water run down her hands. She took the cloth from Shinji and wet it with the cold water before wiping her face.  
  
"I doubt it was a dream," Shinji suddenly said.  
  
"Then what was it? A vision of the future?"  
  
"Perhaps. Who really knows?"  
  
Asuka was silent for several seconds as she thought about it. She leaned against the sink and looked down at the running water while Shinji stared into the mirror.  
  
"Do you really think we'll have that kind of power?" Asuka asked, "I felt something burning inside me."  
  
"So did I. I don't think we'll be able to handle that much power. I didn't feel any emotion in the dream. It was as if the power was destroying me."  
  
"Let's hope that doesn't happen. Even if one of us wins, we wouldn't live for much longer."  
  
There was a knock on the door and the two turned their heads to see who it was. Eve stood there with Apollyon perched on her shoulder, concern written on her face.  
  
"Is everything alright?" she asked.  
  
"I actually have a question," Shinji said, "How much power do we really hold within us?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Apollyon replied.  
  
"How much power," Asuka repeated, "It isn't a hard question and I'd appreciate it if you don't dodge it."  
  
Apollyon and Eve gave each other looks. Apparently Eve won as Apollyon answered.  
  
"Each of you have enough raw power to set the world on fire," he said, "Controlled, you have enough to consume this entire solar system."  
  
This time it was Shinji and Asuka that exchanged looks.  
  
"What?" Eve asked.  
  
"We had a dream," Shinji answered for them both, "Both of us had an incredible amount of power cruising through us and we were fighting. But apparently neither of us felt any kind of emotion. All we felt was a burning sensation. We think our powers might have been destroying us."  
  
This statement elicited no reaction from Eve or Apollyon. They simply looked at the two with intense gazes.  
  
"I suggest you say something or else things might not turn out as you two planned," Asuka threatened.  
  
Shinji placed a hand on Asuka's shoulder. She glared at it but made no move to remove it, her patience surprisingly high today.  
  
"It was always assumed that the Messiah or Antichrist would naturally know how to control their powers," Apollyon answered.  
  
"What idiot came up with that!" Asuka screamed.  
  
"That idiot would be us," said Eve, "You must understand we know next to nothing about your powers. We've seen them be used before but what we witnessed was a fraction of what is capable. That is why either of you could end Third Impact."  
  
"So basically both of us might die in this final battle," Asuka stated.  
  
"Yes," Apollyon answered bluntly.  
  
"Hell. I'm not going to go through with this."  
  
Asuka stormed past the two guardians and into her room. The door was slammed shut and Shinji heard the distinct click of a lock Asuka had installed shortly after she'd moved in.  
  
"That was a mistake on your part," he said to them.  
  
"Perhaps Asuka wasn't ready to learn about the truth yet," said Apollyon.  
  
"You seem to be handling it rather well," Eve noted.  
  
"Because I expected nothing less. I never expected anything to turn out well or a chance of it turning out well. One might say I know too much about the pains of life."  
  
"And not enough of the joys," said Eve, "Give it a chance. I'm sure one of you will survive."  
  
A strange smile appeared on Shinji's face at those words.  
  
"All this is meaningless unless both of us survive."  
  
Shinji walked past them and headed to Asuka's room. He knocked a few times but received no reply. Sighing, Shinji prepared himself for a long string of curses. He flicked his hand and the very audible click of the unlocking door was heard. Pulling the door aside, Shinji found Asuka lying on her bed. She hadn't even noticed him coming in. Shinji walked over and took a seat next to the bed. Asuka looked at him blankly but said nothing. The silence remained in the air until Asuka took a deep breath.  
  
"So are you ready for breakfast?" Shinji asked.  
  
"What time is it?" said Asuka.  
  
"Three in the morning, and I doubt either of us will get any more sleep."  
  
Asuka conceded and got up again. Shinji left her to her own devices as he went off to prepare breakfast. The little episode with Eve and Apollyon seemed forgotten when Asuka saw the spread. Normally when Shinji cooked it would be a Japanese breakfast, and vice-versa when Asuka cooked. Today he had prepared a traditional western breakfast of sausage, eggs, pancakes, and a few other things that were needed to kick off a day. How he managed to do it so quickly Asuka had no idea.  
  
She took a seat and began munching on the great meal before her. Apollyon stuck with the sausages and eggs while Eve mostly ate pancakes. Shinji had some toast and that was about it. Asuka had a little of everything. When they finished, the table had been cleaned off of any food and all around were satisfied. Today it was Shinji and Asuka's turn to wash the dishes. It was surprising how fast Eve and Apollyon had caved on this issue. Now the two pairs that alternated with dishes were Shinji and Asuka and Eve and Apollyon. One would think they wanted it that way.  
  
Dishes were done very quickly and again the two had their training. However, their new proposal brought vehement protests from both Eve and Apollyon.  
  
"Out of the question," Apollyon said firmly.  
  
"Absolutely not!" Eve nearly screamed.  
  
"Is it really up to the two of you?" Asuka demanded, "Both Shinji and I are your superiors. What we want, goes."  
  
"Uh, Asuka?"  
  
"Stay out of this Shinji. Anyways, why not? I need a sparring partner and since you won't transform into your damn human form than Shinji is the only one I trust enough to be that partner. Besides, he's too honorable to try anything."  
  
"Asuka?"  
  
"What!"  
  
"Maybe they have a reason besides that for why they don't want us practicing together."  
  
"And they'd just be annoying excuses," Asuka stated.  
  
"Actually we have valid reasons for this," said Eve, "The two of you fighting together might very well trigger those powers that you dreamed about. After you informed us of the dreams, we feel it is necessary to ensure that neither of you activate them."  
  
"Well no shit! Hey wait, I just agreed with you! Hell no! Shinji and I are going sparring and it'll take more than the two of you to stop us."  
  
Asuka grabbed hold of Shinji's arm and pulled him up. Before he could make a sound the two disappeared in a red haze.  
  
"She is far too persistent," said Apollyon.  
  
The only thing Eve could do was nod in agreement.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Asuka was still ranting when the two appeared in the park.  
  
"That bitch! Who does she think she is? We're the ones with the power, one would think she realize we know how to handle it!"  
  
"But Asuka, didn't we basically tell them we couldn't?"  
  
"You were the one that told them!" Asuka spat back.  
  
"True, but maybe their caution is warranted. They do need us alive."  
  
"Shinji, wake up. Eve and Apollyon are manipulating us just like your father was, but they're being nice about it. That's the only difference. Do you really want to be used?"  
  
"Well, no, but-"  
  
"No buts. Now let's start training."  
  
Asuka spun around and lunged forward, catching Shinji completely off guard. He quickly summoned the lance and blocked Asuka's sword. Shinji counterattacked and used his strength to knock Asuka back a little. However, she retaliated and advanced again. Their duel was a series of blows and counterblows but there was a friendliness to it. Neither was actually pressing through an attack though both moved as quickly as possible. This was a warm-up compared to actual training both knew they needed.  
  
In the trees Apollyon and Eve watched. Apollyon was perched on one of the largest branches with Eve seated next to him. Both watched their respective master carefully, ready to jump in at the first sign that their powers were awakening.  
  
"This is too dangerous," Eve insisted.  
  
"Maybe not. Neither is really pushing the other and they seem to be making this a sport of sorts."  
  
"But what if they get serious? Their combined might could very well destroy the Earth."  
  
"Then our war will never be concluded," said Apollyon, "I see your point. However, until they actually start fighting, I suggest we allow this to go on. You cannot control the Messiah just as I cannot control the Antichrist."  
  
"That doesn't mean I have to like this."  
  
Down in the ground the pace started picking up. Shinji was suddenly faced with a more determined and powerful Asuka. She advanced quickly, somehow defending and pushing him back at the same time. Shinji slashed at her but with just a flicker of her form Asuka dodged it and continued to move forward. Shinji grinned. It was time to take it up a notch.  
  
It wasn't too hard to go supersonic. Shinji ran behind her and attacked but apparently Asuka was just as fast. She was ready for him and blocked his attack.  
  
"You're good," she said.  
  
She punched him in the chest and sent him soaring back.  
  
"But not good enough," Asuka concluded.  
  
Shinji landed on his feet and sped back onto the offensive. He collided into her and the two tumbled down onto the ground. Both lost their weapons but that hardly mattered. Asuka stopped rolling first and Shinji was suddenly on top of her.  
  
"Pervert! Get off!" she screamed.  
  
Shinji was about to do just that when a thought occurred to him. He quickly pecked Asuka on the lips and jumped off laughing. Asuka had a stunned look on her face as she got up.  
  
"How dare you!" she screamed.  
  
"How dare I what? Steal a kiss? One would think you'd like that."  
  
Asuka was too taken aback to respond properly. Now that she thought about it she found there was nothing inside her that was revolted at what Shinji did. It was as if she had wanted it. Asuka scowled and turned away from Shinji. The young man in question smiled at the pouting girl and walked over. Wrapping his arms around her, Shinji whispered into her ear.  
  
"Don't worry Asuka. No one is here to see this. And besides, does it really matter?"  
  
"It matters because we're supposed to be enemies," Asuka said, though she made no move to disengage.  
  
"I once said to you that this is another path we're taking to find happiness. Have you ever wondered why we're taking it together?"  
  
Asuka had no answer so she said nothing. Shinji gave her one.  
  
"Because we'll find happiness together. Do you believe me on that?"  
  
"I don't know. It seems too farfetched. And why would you even want to stay with me? After all I've done?"  
  
"You just wanted to keep herself from getting hurt. I understand that, and I'm sorry I didn't before. I'll try to make it up."  
  
Asuka pulled away from Shinji and started walking away.  
  
"I'm sorry Shinji, but I'm not ready to accept that. Even if you think we're meant to be, I still don't know. I don't even know why I'm thinking like this, goddamn it!"  
  
Shinji crossed his arms and sighed.  
  
"I won't force you into anything Asuka, no matter what. But just take your time and think about it. If you decide to return my love, I'll do everything within my power to make you happy."  
  
Love. That word seemed to strike something inside of Asuka. A dark fury suddenly burst out, all the pent up rage coming out at once. Asuka turned around, her faced darkened and her eyes alight with fury. She walked over to Shinji and slapped him hard on the face.  
  
"Don't you ever assume anything again," she warned.  
  
Asuka disappeared from the park, leaving Shinji alone. The young man was well aware of that he had just witnessed. Asuka wasn't ready, and the Antichrist inside of her just wouldn't accept him. He had to win the coming battle, or he would lose Asuka. There was no way he'd accept that.  
  
End of Chapter 6  
  
I would like to know where people get the impression that Rei plays the violin. She plays the damn viola! And as a person that plays both instruments, I find it very annoying to see this mistake repeated over and over again. I'm not talking about AUs, I'm talking about fics that are based off of the actual EVA series! Okay, got that out of me. Now onto the real notes.  
  
As I write, I'm having trouble with this issue. As the reader, I ask you to tell me this honestly. Currently you've seen a single scene of romance that got broken up. Did I build up properly to the romance in the previous chapters or was this dropped in too suddenly?  
  
Also, I'm working on a fic called Gathering of Force on fictionpress.com. Please go to my profile there and check it out. Seriously, I need feedback.  
  
Oh, just a little preview for the next chapter. The final battle as finally come, but we're just about halfway through the story. What else do I have in store for our lovely couple?  
  
Just for the record, expect a major overhaul of the last chapter of Adaptation and the last two chapters of Humanity's Faith that I have up. I was too rushed in finishing them so the new versions will be a lot more polished and hopefully more interesting. Still will take a while.  
  
Z98 


	8. End of Scenario

Hmm, this fic isn't receiving as much attention as Adaptation or Humanity's Faith. Unfortunately, for some reason I can only focus on this fic. Just a note. The final battle isn't just them firing off seriously powerful attacks. It's a battle on the mental level too.  
  
Recrudesce of Evangelion  
  
Chapter 7: End of Scenario  
  
It was strange. The month preceding the final battle had seemed to fly by and yet Shinji felt ready. All the training with Eve and Asuka had helped him increase his strengths and lessen his weaknesses. However, one still remained. The will to fight was lacking because Shinji was still searching for a reason to fight. Was he fighting for Asuka, or for himself? Or was he fighting for the rest of humanity? Shinji found no answer inside his heart. Maybe that answer was held by someone else.  
  
Asuka was on the roof again, looking at the evening sky. Tomorrow the battle would begin at the strike of midnight and she was sure victory was hers. Her reason for wanting to win was solid. Shinji had helped her before when she was weak, but now that she was strong she would return the favor. It was quite obvious Shinji wanted Third Impact to be reversed and Asuka was going to do just that. With the powers that flowed inside of her, it would be a small task. She wouldn't even kill Shinji. She'd make him dependant on her and show him what he'd missed because of his attitude before. That would be the sweetest thing of all.  
  
"Asuka."  
  
The young woman didn't bother turning around. She knew fully well who it was behind her.  
  
"What do you want Shinji?"  
  
"Tonight, could we not fight?"  
  
"What do you mean? We've never fought since this month began."  
  
"We were close to it a week ago. Remember?"  
  
Asuka remembered it fully. Shinji had expressed his feelings but Asuka had thrown them right back. It had hurt both of them and Asuka knew it. What bothered her was why they had hurt her. That shouldn't have happened. The pain wasn't just physical either. It had gone far deeper, striking something deep in her psyche.  
  
"Of course. Are you going to try to make up, or pick up where you left off?"  
  
"Knowing you, you wouldn't want either. But then again, this isn't exactly about what you want, right?"  
  
"You were always kind no matter what. You never tried to insult me. I find that odd. I had believed you were simply being arrogant."  
  
"Me? You didn't know me very well back than. But after what we've been through, I would hope that has changed."  
  
"It has. Now I see you as someone that won't share the burden you carry with others."  
  
"And neither will you. We're mirror images of each other, complete opposite and yet still the same."  
  
Asuka smiled cruelly. She so enjoyed toying with him, now was no different.  
  
"Are you making an approach," she asked.  
  
"Yes, though you seem to consider it a form of entertainment. One would think you had not matured by your behavior."  
  
That statement angered Asuka. How dare he think I'm not mature! How dare he even assume that!  
  
"You had better be careful passing judgment," Asuka replied, "You are not god."  
  
"No I'm not, and I don't want to be. I want to be human."  
  
This drew a frown. Human? Humanity was weak. Being a god meant holding true power. That was far better than being in this fragile husk of a body. Being a god meant people truly respected and feared you. That was the reward for being a god.  
  
"There is always a price to pay," Shinji continued, "I don't think you'll be willing to pay it when the time comes."  
  
"And you will?" Asuka snapped, starting to lose her temper.  
  
"No. But then again, I've always been reluctant to take anything for free. That's why I feel this is actually worth the effort. For you."  
  
That's it. Asuka spun around and slapped Shinji hard on the face. His head didn't jerk back like she expected. It didn't move at all. However, there was still a red mark on his face.  
  
"You say you won't pay the price? Well don't think I won't cause I will."  
  
"I won't pay the price," Shinji replied, "I already have."  
  
The red hand mark on his face disappeared completely, showing no trace of ever being there. Asuka frowned and looked at Shinji closely. There was a difference but it was subtle. So subtle that she hadn't noticed it before.  
  
"What are you talking about?" she asked.  
  
"Walk with me?"  
  
Shinji disappeared much to Asuka's annoyance. But as she was curious to find out what she meant she followed. Asuka rematerialized in a valley standing next to Shinji.  
  
"Where are we?" she asked.  
  
"This is one of the valleys outside the city. You never had the chance to see the beauty of the land before."  
  
"What does it matter about the land? It is nothing except a resource to be used."  
  
"And yet it can also reflect the beauty and creativity of humanity. But I'm sure you already know that."  
  
Surprisingly, Asuka found that she did know this little fact. But why did she know it? And more importantly, how?  
  
"You're also human, Asuka. Are you willing to accept that?"  
  
"No. I'm better than human. I'm the Antichrist, remember?"  
  
"All too well. As I said, you may not be willing to pay the price."  
  
"And what exactly is this price?" Asuka demanded.  
  
"Your pride."  
  
Asuka winced as if Shinji had hit her. She had never expected something like this and she knew it was going to be almost impossible for her to accept something like this.  
  
"You know nothing," Asuka said stubbornly.  
  
"Then let me help you," said Shinji, "You want to pay the price? That's the first step."  
  
"And how would I know?"  
  
"Because I paid it already."  
  
Asuka frowned but saw truth in his words. What he had done to pay for it she did not know but she wasn't about to be outdone again.  
  
"Fine."  
  
Everything around them disappeared. The trees, the grass, the lake and the mountains were gone. The already dark sky turned into nothingness and what was left of the sun was blotted out. Then everything was reset but the sky was light.  
  
"What is this?" Asuka demanded.  
  
"Consider this an illusion. This present situation is a reflection of your mood. Surprisingly, you are at peace."  
  
Needless to say, this caused Asuka's temper to flare. As it did, the sky darkened and she heard thunder far off.  
  
"This means nothing," she insisted.  
  
"To you, perhaps it is nothing. But to me, it is a way to gauge how well I'm doing in my efforts to help you."  
  
"And how are you doing so far?" Asuka said sarcastically.  
  
"I am doing well. It is you who is not."  
  
"Don't give me that crap. Just tell me what you have to do and I'll do it."  
  
"Are you going to do it because you don't want to, or are you going to do it to satisfy your pride and prove yourself? There is a difference."  
  
"What? What the hell does that mean!"  
  
"Think calmly. Do you really think you can trick anyone, most of all yourself? You'll prove nothing to yourself or me if you do it just for that purpose."  
  
"That's it? Well, even with that stupid rule I won't fail."  
  
The scenery changed and was a ballroom. Shinji saw dozens of people waltzing in the hall but she couldn't make out any of their faces. Why was that?  
  
"Care to dance?" Shinji asked, extending his hand.  
  
Asuka saw Shinji wearing a formal suit with a white shirt, black tie, and black pants. When she looked down she realized she was also in a formal gown. It was utterly beautiful. The dark red dress was just short of touching the ground and had beautiful stitching decorating it along the bottom. She wouldn't have had anything going over her shoulders except for a piece of fabric that helped hold up the dress and added as decoration. It was a lighter shade of red and rang along the top of the dress on front and back, looping around Asuka's arms as well.  
  
Raising an eyebrow, Asuka took his hand and drew closer. Shinji wrapped an arm around Asuka and they fell into step with the dance. They swung about, the image of a content couple in perfect harmony.  
  
"And what's the point of this?" Asuka asked.  
  
"To see if you can stand my company. Here everyone considers us to be married."  
  
"But we're only fourteen!"  
  
A brief smile appeared on Shinji's face before it completely changed. Asuka's eyes went wide as she saw a more mature and handsome Shinji standing before her.  
  
"S-Shinji?"  
  
"At the age of twenty-five. And you, twenty-four."  
  
"What the hell is this!" Asuka demanded.  
  
"As you said, we were too young."  
  
"Well Mrs. Ikari, you certainly are lucky."  
  
The two separated, Asuka almost jumping away. She spun around and saw another woman with short brown hair and pale green eyes standing before them. She was dressed in a white dress and smiled at the couple.  
  
"What? Who are you?"  
  
"What? I'm hurt. But then again, you probably never wanted to remember me."  
  
"Asuka, this is Mana. Remember?"  
  
Her eyes narrowing, Asuka recalled knowing a girl named Mana. She had been interested in Shinji and Asuka had felt rather jealous at their relationship. Wait, jealous? Asuka shook her head, driving that thought out. Mana interpreted that a different way.  
  
"So you actually did forget me. Well, can't say I blame you."  
  
"No I remember," Asuka managed to say civilly, "I was just thinking about something else."  
  
"Oh. Well, I hope the two of you are happy."  
  
That snapped Asuka back to reality. When she looked around, she saw that the mood in the ballroom was cheerful. No one seemed to have any worries here. Why was that? Then Asuka asked herself that question. Why the happiness? It didn't seem right for some reason. But then she felt Shinji's arms around her. They felt right. It was comforting to have him hold her. She could remember him hugging her only once before. Was that it?  
  
"Well, I hope the two of you will be happy. Bye."  
  
Mana backed away and disappeared into the crowd. Asuka couldn't help but feel relieved that she was gone. It felt more comfortable being with Shinji while no one else watched.  
  
"Do you know what I mean now?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Yes. Yes, I think I do. This is more than just a simple test of my psyche, pride, or strength. This is a test of love as well. The love that you knew I had for you. Very clever, Messiah. No, it's Shinji pulling the strings, isn't it?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
Asuka smiled and leaned back against Shinji.  
  
"The Messiah always loved humanity as a whole too much. He never could concentrate on a single human. Unlike you."  
  
"There is truth in that. My compassion is my weakness. My kindness is not focused, and thus neither am I. What about you?"  
  
"What about me? I am vain, cruel, and evil. What is there to me?"  
  
"You are capable of kindness, deserving of happiness, and willing to sacrifice to achieve a goal. Admirable qualities, don't you think?"  
  
"You seem to forget the other aspects of me," said Asuka, "I am the Antichrist."  
  
"And I am the Messiah. But remember, these mean nothing unless we want them to."  
  
Asuka frowned and pulled away. She turned around and faced Shinji, their eyes meeting.  
  
"You want to run away, don't you?"  
  
"I want you to not fight," Shinji replied, "I want you to see what I have to offer you."  
  
"A generous offer, but I like mine better," said Asuka, "There will be a final battle no matter what."  
  
"As you say, Asuka."  
  
The scenery changed once more to the valley. This time, everything was peaceful. Life was plentiful and lush, flowers and trees covering the land.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You are at peace. Do not deny it. You enjoyed the time with me."  
  
Asuka smiled. "Of course I enjoyed my time with you. But all good things must end."  
  
"Only if you end it. The choice is yours."  
  
"No. The choice is ours. What we choose will determine the end. The end justifies the means, Shinji."  
  
"The end never justifies the means. You should know that already. If you destroy something you try to protect in order to save it, you still failed to protect it."  
  
"What philosophical nonsense. I had expected better from you, Messiah."  
  
"And I had expected more perception from you, Antichrist."  
  
Asuka frowned. This was the first time Shinji had actually addressed her by that title. Did that mean something? No, of course not.  
  
"Is this all?" Asuka asked.  
  
"No. One last thing before we begin."  
  
Again the valley disappeared. Asuka was starting to get annoyed at the scene changes. However, the moment she realized where they were a sense of horror gripped her.  
  
"No. Anywhere but here. Please! Anywhere!"  
  
"Momma!"  
  
Asuka spun around to see a younger version of herself running down the hallway.  
  
"I've been selected!"  
  
"No! Don't go there! Don't open that door!"  
  
Asuka broke off into a run and tried to stop the little girl. As she moved, she felt as if she was running through molasses. No matter what, the girl was always ahead of her. She was too late to stop the little Asuka. The door flung open and revealed Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu hanging from the ceiling.  
  
"Momma?" the little Asuka said, stunned. She then saw the doll that had its head ripped off.  
  
The real Asuka collapsed and starting sobbing.  
  
"No. I don't want to see this again. No."  
  
She heard footsteps and looked up, seeing Shinji standing next to her.  
  
"This is what caused it all. You pushing me away, unable to accept kindness from anyone, always searching for praise and always trying to win at everything."  
  
"Why are you showing me this? I thought you cared."  
  
"If I didn't show you this, that would be a sign that I didn't care. If I tried to pamper you, you would never accept the pain and move on."  
  
"I don't want to accept pain! I just want to be happy!"  
  
"Moving on is the first step to happiness," said Shinji. He knelt down and placed a hand on her shoulder. "That's what I want you to learn. Then you will be happy."  
  
Asuka didn't know what came over her. She suddenly shot up into Shinji's arms, holding onto him tightly and crying on his shoulder.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because you are lonely. Just say it. You're lonely."  
  
"I'm lonely."  
  
It was as if a great burden had been lifted off her shoulders. Asuka felt lighthearted and even happy being held by someone that cared for her. She had never thought Shinji would look out for her until after Third Impact. Now, she just didn't want to lose him.  
  
The two were suddenly torn apart and thrown back.  
  
"What? What's going on!" Asuka demanded.  
  
"Midnight."  
  
It didn't take Asuka long to figure out what he meant. The final battle was at hand.  
  
"I won't kill you Shinji, you'll still be alive and we'll still be together after this."  
  
"Likewise, but I will win."  
  
Both drew their weapons and assumed a combat stance. Asuka's Excalibur had a dark fiery aura surrounding it while Shinji's Lance of Longinus glowed brightly. The two charged and at the same instance dropped out of real- time. The world was frozen as the two swung their weapons, blades clashing and power building up from the opposite energies. A giant sphere of energy formed around them, black and white light swirling all around and continued to grow in size. Neither was willing to let the other gain an advantage so they kept on pushing. Finally the sphere exploded but the two were still there, pressing their blade against the other.  
  
"You can't win," Asuka insisted.  
  
"Neither can you."  
  
Their weapons slipped off and both jumped back before charging again. Shinji attacked from the side and Asuka quickly blocked it. He then twirled his lance, pushing Asuka's sword to the side while at the same time bringing down the other blade on the other end. Asuka barely got her sword up in time to block the swipe. She pushed the lance away and launched her own offensive. Driving forward, Asuka flew towards Shinji and was nearly upon him when he disappeared.  
  
Asuka slid to a stop and looked around. Where had he gone? Out of nowhere Shinji reappeared and kicked her in the back, sending her flying. She flipped back onto her feet and tried attacking again. Shinji expected her to try the same tactic again but Asuka had a little surprise for him. Instead of just diving in Asuka created a shockwave and sent it his way. This was totally unexpected and threw Shinji back several feet before he recovered.  
  
"Neat trick," he commented, "Let's try something more advanced."  
  
Shinji started thickening the air with static electricity. After he had built up enough of a charge he launched it at Asuka. The charge continued to build up from all the free static in the air and when it struck Asuka it had the strength of a lightning bolt. Asuka tried to use her sword to block it and it was surprisingly effective considering it was metal. However she couldn't stand her ground and got flung back. Shinji wasted no time in lunging for her. He suddenly ran into a wall of fire and was repelled. When he got back up, Asuka was looking at him defiantly.  
  
"You aren't the only one capable of tricks," she said proudly.  
  
"Impressive. But you'll have to do better than that."  
  
Shinji drew the moisture from the air and drenched the fire wall. It dissipated quickly. Asuka responded by throwing wind at Shinji. He sliced right through them with his lance and then created ice by drawing on more moisture and sucking their heat away. Asuka's feet were then frozen to the ground and she struggled to free them. Shinji then used the warmth he had gathered to create a firestorm and set it upon her.  
  
"Think again!" Asuka shouted.  
  
She raised one hand and all of the fire was drained into it. The ice melted and Asuka was once again ready to fight.  
  
"Should have figured. Fire is your element."  
  
Shinji summoned a tidal wave from out of thin air and tried to flood out Asuka. She merely evaporated the water with a flaming aura that now surrounded her.  
  
"I've tapped into my true powers. Have you?" she asked.  
  
Asuka slammed her sword into the ground and a pentagram of fire erupted beneath her. The fire started gathering and soon a massive dragon appeared, composed purely out of flames. She raised her sword and pointed at Shinji. The dragon took off and sped towards him. Smiling, Asuka knew this would be the end.  
  
The dragon flew at full speed, roaring as it went. Shinji made no move to dodge but simply stood there. At the last moment white light flared and the dragon rammed into something. It completely dissipated, leaving Shinji unharmed.  
  
"What!" Asuka screamed, "How is this possible?"  
  
"The answer is yes," Shinji said, "I have also tapped into my true powers."  
  
Asuka squinted and saw a large spherical forcefield protecting Shinji. The power it took to have stopped that attack would have been astronomical, and yet somehow he had done it. Asuka went into a rage and charged again. Shinji lowered his shield but didn't counterattack. He merely dodged every swing or blow, moving far faster than Asuka.  
  
After her last attack Asuka was starting to get frustrated. Shinji wasn't going to give in willingly so she needed to take him down in one blast. The two stood there, each waiting for the other to make their move.  
  
"You're good," Asuka said, "A lot stronger than I could ever have imagined."  
  
"I'll take that as a compliment. But that does not mean you will win."  
  
"On the contrary. I will win this no matter what."  
  
"Even if it means killing me?"  
  
Asuka faltered at that statement.  
  
"What?"  
  
"As long as I live, you will never win. But if you live, I can still win."  
  
"I see. Though I am not sure I believe you. But then again, let's finish this, shall we?"  
  
The power Asuka was gathering into her hands started burning the very air around her. The ground was suddenly set ablaze and was burning through even the dirt. Her eyes shone with redness and her hair started flowing all over the place. The very ground she stood upon cracked open and disintegrated.  
  
Shinji knew what was coming and he had to stop it. He began running towards Asuka, putting as much energy as possible into the lance. Light and fire flared as both drew on all of their reserves for this final finish. The lance hummed with power as it continued to receive more. For a while it looked as if the weapon would explode.  
  
Asuka was finally ready and launched her attack. It struck Shinji right in the face and burnt out his eyes completely. He screamed out in pain as the lance continued to go forth. Shinji kept running and ran Asuka through. There was a sickening crack as the weapon smashed her spinal cord. The power in it burned off most of the nerves and Asuka lost feeling to her legs.  
  
The momentum continued to carry Shinji forward and he crashed into the ground, rolling for a while before finally coming to a stop. He laid there, the lance shattered and broken into tiny pieces. Asuka fell to her knees and then onto her chest. The sword was broken in two, it's blade even now turning into dust. And all was quiet.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
The entire world seemed to be on fire as light blazed through it. The black egg was glazed over and erupted in several places. It started shattering and cracks appeared all over. Slowly the souls of billions of people poured out, free from Third Impact. None were aware of what had caused this but then again none were aware of what was happening.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
The waters swept across the sand on the beach. The tide making swishing as it flowed across. Two figures lay there, immobile. One was a young woman with striking red hair, the other a young man with short brown hair. Both had their eyes shut as if they were asleep. Both did not stir and simply laid there.  
  
End of Chapter 7  
  
Yes this is shorter than the other chapters, but the entire chapter was supposed to revolve around the situation immediately before the battle and the battle itself. I'm sure there are authors that could have stretched it out but I'll be damned if I try that right now. If you're puzzled about the ending, just think about the title.  
  
Question. What is Toji's sister's name?  
  
Just a side note. I feel no obligation to not kill off characters.  
  
Z98 


	9. Return

Hehe. Apparently all of you took that last note rather well. To all the fans of Apollyon and Eve, I will apologize now and get it over with. As to what that actually meant, you'll find out later.  
  
Also, OMG, if you start a damn argument on the review board, I swear I will remove everything you've written. I did not start this for an argument to take place so if you don't like the story stop reading. As I'm not getting paid to write this stuff you aren't getting paid to read my stuff, so stop bother the people who do like this story. Everyone else, just ignore OMG and don't respond to anything he says.  
  
Recrudesce of Evangelion  
  
Chapter 8: Return  
  
Asuka opened her eyes and blinked a few times before they adjusted to the light. She felt numb all over but was able to rise up. Then, she saw Shinji. He was just lying there completely still, eyes still closed. Was he asleep? Or dead. Dread seeped into Asuka's mind. She tried to get up but found she couldn't. There was no feeling in her leg, for that matter there was no feeling in her lower body.  
  
"What the hell?"  
  
Asuka ignored that and started crawling towards Shinji. She checked to make sure he was breathing and then his pulse. Both were strong. That meant he was still alive, but he might be in a coma. Asuka nudged him a few times before he finally woke up, a relief for her. He opened his eyes and that relief turned to horror and surprise. Instead of the blue and serene eyes she had always seen there was only blackness inside them.  
  
"Oh my god. Shinji."  
  
"Asuka? Is that you? Where are you? Everything is so dark."  
  
Asuka took hold of Shinji and helped him sit up as best he could. She then hugged him and cried.  
  
"I'm so sorry, I made you blind. I'm sorry."  
  
"The battle. I thought it was all a bad dream."  
  
"No. I wish it was too. I'm sorry Shinji."  
  
"It's okay. You're with me now. But, is anyone else around?"  
  
"I-I don't know."  
  
"Then let's get back to the apartment. I'm sure Apollyon and Eve can offer an explanation."  
  
"But who won?"  
  
"Does that really matter right now?"  
  
Asuka looked into the darkness that was Shinji's eyes now. There weren't even eyeballs there. She felt another stab of guilt at having done this to him.  
  
"Don't worry about it," Shinji said as if sensing her look, "Come on, let's get up and go back."  
  
"Uh, Shinji? I, umm, I don't think I can walk."  
  
"What? Why not?"  
  
"I, I can't feel my legs at all."  
  
Shinji's face darkened.  
  
"Oh. That's my fault. I must have damaged your spinal cord. I'm sorry Asuka."  
  
"Hey, I robbed you of your eyesight, and that's a lot more important. And stop apologizing already!"  
  
Shinji got up to his feet and stood there before Asuka.  
  
"I'll carry you," he said, "and you can act as my eyes."  
  
Asuka smiled as she had Shinji turn around and kneel down. She got onto his back and Shinji started walking with Asuka providing directions. It wasn't too long before they made it back to the apartment. When they went in, Asuka gasped.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Nothing's changed."  
  
"Should anything have?"  
  
"No, I mean there is nothing different about it. There's no sign that this place has been used at all. There's no sign that Apollyon or Eve was here."  
  
Shinji frowned. "Eve kept a vase with flowers on the table. Is there one now?"  
  
"No. Why would they vanish just like that?"  
  
Suddenly there was a sinking feeling inside Shinji's stomach.  
  
"Oh no."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I-I don't think any of that really happened."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I think we also lost our AT-Fields and that was something we dreamed up."  
  
"What? Everything? Then nothing was real?"  
  
Asuka started feeling uneasy. Did that mean Shinji really didn't love her? But she didn't want to be alone again.  
  
"No. I think the actions were false, but the emotions were real," said Shinji, "If we didn't like each other, we never would have had those encounters."  
  
Asuka felt hope blossoming.  
  
"So does that mean you do like me?" she whispered into Shinji's ear.  
  
"Yes. No matter what."  
  
"But do you love me?"  
  
"Of course. Otherwise I would never have tried so hard to make you happy."  
  
Asuka smiled. "Thanks."  
  
"So what do we do now?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Same thing we were trying to do before. End Third Impact."  
  
"Okay. But since everything we found out back then was not real, I think most of the information is pretty much useless."  
  
"But we still have the information at NERV headquarters," said Asuka, "And hopefully we'll find another wheelchair."  
  
"Hey Asuka, let's not use a motorized one, okay?"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Cause then I get to push you around. I'll be your legs, and you'll be my eyes."  
  
This brought another smile onto Asuka's face.  
  
"That's remarkably sweet of you. Never thought you had it in you Third Child."  
  
"Yeah well, anything to be close to you, Asuka."  
  
Asuka guided Shinji into the living room and he set her down on the couch. It was then that the two realized something.  
  
"I won't be able to cook anything," said Shinji, "and it'd be kind of hard for you to cook without being able to stand."  
  
"I think we need that wheelchair now," said Asuka."  
  
Shinji nodded. "Well, up you go."  
  
He picked her up again and started walking. After a rather long hike that exhausted Shinji and it also turned out to be fruitless. When they reached the entrance to NERV, they found it was completely blocked.  
  
"Umm, okay," said Asuka, "I really don't think we can get in."  
  
"Where else are we supposed to go?" Shinji asked, "We kind of need the MAGI to work."  
  
"Well, for now let's just get a wheelchair and we should find one in a hospital. For now, just sit down. You need the rest."  
  
"No I'm fine."  
  
"Shinji, don't make me force you to sit down."  
  
Shinji sighed. "Yes dear."  
  
Asuka smiled. "Now that's a good boy."  
  
Shinji laid Asuka down gently before plopping down himself. Though he tried not to show it, carrying Asuka was a lot more work than it seemed.  
  
"Shinji, what do you think happened to NERV?" Asuka asked.  
  
"I don't know and I'm not sure I want to find out. Whatever it was, it couldn't have been good."  
  
"There just has to be some way to get hold of the information inside the MAGI," Asuka said stubbornly, "Maybe there's a remote access terminal or we could link up with one of the other MAGI supercomputers."  
  
"Of course! There's one in Germany, the United States, and probably China too. I'm sure other countries have them as well."  
  
"So what if they do? It's not like they would have any of the information regarding Third Impact."  
  
"Hmm. Good point. There has got to be a way though."  
  
"Well, I'm rested so let's go find that wheelchair."  
  
Again Asuka was lifted onto Shinji's back and was carried around. This time it took a while longer for them to find a hospital as both stayed in the NERV infirmary if they were ever injured. Once inside, they had almost no trouble locating a wheelchair for Asuka. However, it was only then that they realized the magnitude of what had happened during Third Impact.  
  
Littered all over the hospital facility were the clothes of the former doctor, nurses, orderlies, and patients. They were a haunting reminder of what Asuka and Shinji had themselves avoided, though how was a question neither knew the answer to. While Shinji could not see anything, he certainly felt the dark atmosphere in the installation. Asuka didn't just feel it, she saw the cause of it. Here and there clothes lay there in a puddle of LCL. It was not a pleasant sight no matter what how you looked at it.  
  
"Hey Shinji, let's get out of here fast, okay?"  
  
"We still might need some medical supplies," said Shinji, "I really don't have any idea how bad our wounds are."  
  
"You're right. Fine, let's get the wheelchair, supplies, and get the hell out of here."  
  
"Yes Asuka."  
  
Locating a wheelchair didn't take long. Finding the storage rooms did. Asuka didn't want to go through any of the LCL and she was sure Shinji didn't either. This forced them to take several detours before getting into storage.  
  
"Let's see. Morphine, bandages, hmm, what else do we really need?"  
  
"How about aspirin? Or antibiotics."  
  
"That might be a good idea."  
  
Shinji pushed Asuka along the rows of shelves as she looked at the supplies. Fortunately a lot of them were marked in English so she was able to tell what was in what.  
  
"Okay, I think that's enough. Should we go home now?"  
  
"Do we have any food?" Shinji asked.  
  
Asuka blinked. "I hadn't thought about that. Well, I doubt we'll be able to carry both food and medical supplies considering my current condition. Let's go home, check, and if we have to we'll go food hunting."  
  
Shinji pushed Asuka out of the hospital and the two made their way back to the apartment with all the supplies in Asuka's lap. Once they deposited all the stuff on the couch Shinji pushed Asuka to the kitchen. She pulled open the fridge and found it still full of beer and ramen.  
  
"We'll survive," she said, "but it's still going to be on instant. You sure you want to live like that?"  
  
"We can get real food later," said Shinji, "I'm really tired right now and I just want to get some rest."  
  
"Humph, I guess you would be after pushing me around like that."  
  
Asuka yawned herself, not knowing how tired she was. Strangely enough, Shinji heard her.  
  
"I'm not the only one tired," he said.  
  
"How'd you know?"  
  
"I just heard it. I don't know how. For some reason I could hear it clearly too, as if I had done it myself."  
  
"Odd," said Asuka, "Well, maybe your hearing is trying to compensate for your lack of sight. It's happened before to people who can't see."  
  
"But should it be happening so soon?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Don't know, but let's not worry about it just yet, okay? You need rest and I need rest. Let's just crash and think about it later."  
  
Shinji had rarely heard that idiom before but didn't argue. Both stayed in the living room and laid down on their own separate couch before closing their eyes.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
The MP EVAs continued to break apart until every last one of them crumbled. What were once symbols of humanity's greatest achievement, the attainment of Third Impact into one celestial being, was nothing more than pieces of meat. The last restrictions upon the trapped souls of Third Impact broke off and more poured out and began their long journey back home. Many chose to remain, but those that did soon found that the completeness was no more and they themselves were fading away. By then, it was too late. There was no escaping it.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Shinji wasn't sure why he woke up but he did. At the same time Asuka did the same. They looked at each other, Shinji staring at her as if he still had eyes and Asuka looking into the two black spots that should have held them.  
  
"You felt it too?" Asuka said.  
  
"Maybe. I just knew I had to wake up."  
  
"Let's look outside. Maybe something happened."  
  
Shinji got up and felt his way to Asuka. He helped her into the wheelchair and pushed her out onto the balcony. Asuka gasped when she got there.  
  
"Shinji, the MP EVAs, that big head, they're all gone."  
  
Shinji frowned. "Really? But wouldn't that be a good thing?"  
  
"Maybe, but where did they go?"  
  
"I honestly wouldn't know."  
  
Asuka realized that was certainly true. If she didn't know, how could Shinji? She then looked up and gasped again.  
  
"Oh my god."  
  
"What is it?" Shinji asked, concerned.  
  
"Shinji, there're two moons."  
  
Now that stunned Shinji as well. He blinked a few times and wished he could see them.  
  
"How is that possible?" he asked.  
  
"I have no idea but it's there. But it's so dark, I can barely see it. It's like a black moon."  
  
"A black moon?" Shinji said, surprised.  
  
"Yeah. Why?"  
  
"During Third Impact, I remember seeing all those souls orbiting a black moon. Is that what it is? A place to hold all those souls?"  
  
"Maybe. Not like we can touch it though. It's in orbit, right?"  
  
"Yeah. A shame though. Come on, let's get some more sleep. We have a busy day tomorrow."  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"Well, I think that'll work," said Asuka.  
  
In the convenience store by their apartment complex the two were looking through its selection of sunglasses. It was actually pretty good, considering it was just a small shop. The sunglasses were more for Asuka's sake than Shinji's as she kept getting freaked at seeing Shinji without eyes and Shinji knew this. That was why he had suggested getting sunglasses. Asuka hadn't bothered to argue as it allowed her to get what she wanted without actually saying it.  
  
Shinji pushed Asuka out, her already holding a bag of groceries in her lap. The two had gotten up rather early and had decided to get to work right away.  
  
"What else can we do?" Asuka asked Shinji.  
  
"You're asking me? I'm blind and I have no idea how to end Third Impact. Actually, I'm out of ideas for everything."  
  
Asuka sighed. "Why is life so hard?"  
  
"So we can enjoy the good times," Shinji replied, catching her by surprise. "If life was easy we would never appreciate the things that are truly valuable."  
  
"You know, you're right. How did you ever figure that out?"  
  
"I've had a lot of time to think about all this."  
  
"Well, hopefully someday we will end Third Impact. Wouldn't that impress Misato?"  
  
Shinji chuckled. "I think we've already impressed her too much. Especially after what you did to the MP EVAs."  
  
His face darkened slightly, something Asuka didn't realize at first.  
  
"Sorry."  
  
"Not this again," said Asuka, "Look Shinji. Don't worry about all this crap about bringing up unwanted memories. As you so wisely put it, if you push memories away then you won't ever learn to move on from them."  
  
"You're right."  
  
They went back to the apartment and Asuka restocked the fridge. All of Misato's beer supply was taken out and they brought that downstairs. Just for the fun of it, they made a pyramid out of the beer cans. This little side-activity gave them the chance to find something to laugh it. If Misato ever came back, she would probably be furious at them for letting her beer grow warm outside. But then again she needed to get back to be furious at them, and getting her mad was worth it to just get her back.  
  
Asuka was pushed into Misato's room where she found a computer hooked up to the Tokyo 3 network. It was amazing the thing was still working considering how much of Tokyo 3 had been vaporized, that and the Geofront had apparently been sealed off. Unfortunately, having the Geofront sealed off was more hindrance than having half the city slagged.  
  
"Nuts," said Asuka, "I'm using Misato's password but for some reason the thing won't let me connect."  
  
"What's wrong?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Oh, it's saying something about the network being disconnected or relay is out of range. Whatever that means."  
  
"I think most of the communications equipment was disrupted or destroyed when the JSSDF attacked," said Shinji, "but maybe we could hook up to some kind of satellite feed. That might allow us to connect to another MAGI computer if ours is cut off."  
  
"Might work," said Asuka, "I'm checking the locations of any communications towers. Okay, found one two miles from here. If we go today, we'd better bring some food along."  
  
"Then let's make a lunch," said Shinji.  
  
The two went into the kitchen and Asuka brought out the food. She didn't let Shinji touch any knives or sharp utensils so he wasn't able to help too much. When they were done, the food was put into lunchboxes and Asuka grabbed Misato's laptop.  
  
"We can follow this map," she said, "and the tower should allow us to tap into its power so we don't have to worry about the thing's battery running out."  
  
"It's supposed to last for twenty hours anyways," said Shinji.  
  
"How do you know that?"  
  
"I had to use it once. My laptop crashed so Misato lent me hers to do homework on."  
  
He pushed her out the apartment and they took the elevator downstairs. From there it was about an hour before they reached the communications tower, mainly because they had to stop to rest a few times. When they got there, Asuka wasted no time in hooking up the laptop and connecting onto the internet as Shinji leaned back against the tower. He was glad for a chance to rest.  
  
"Okay, I think I'm in. Yeah, I'm connected to the MAGI in Massachusetts. Hmm, I wonder why that one. Wait, it's asking for orders. Okay, what were its previous orders? Oh. Shinji, I think we got lucky."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because this MAGI was one that was ordered to take over the MAGI in the Geofront and it's succeeded. It's now waiting for orders. We can access our MAGI's data archives."  
  
"That's good," said Shinji, "We'd better start looking up info on the MP EVAs."  
  
"Doing just that," Asuka assured him, "Let's see, here are the design specifications for the MP EVAs. Wait, this is interesting. Apparently we were wrong about them. The MP EVAs are also made from Adam. But, there's something else too."  
  
"What is it?" Shinji asked.  
  
"These designs don't make any sense," said Asuka, "They weren't even built for combat. They were built exclusively to initiate Third Impact. But how are they so powerful? Oh my god."  
  
"What?"  
  
"The MP EVAs actually have names. Dear god, they're named after the nine symbols upon the Tree of Sephiroth!"  
  
"What's that?" Shinji asked.  
  
"It's something to do with Judaism and a little with Christianity. But what's important is what they represent. Oh my god. The blueprint for Third Impact has existed for this long!"  
  
"Asuka, I can't read whatever it is you're reading," said Shinji, "Can you please tell me what's going on?"  
  
"Third Impact was something that had been mapped out long before Seele or NERV tried to pull it off. Over the centuries wise men and such have been mapping it out and explaining the requirements that would allow it to be carried off. But why? How could they have known about this?"  
  
"Didn't the Dead Sea Scrolls have everything?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Checking. Okay, from what I'm gleaning, the Dead Sea Scrolls had the beginning of it. It had information about the possibility and had the mathematical formulas to prove it. However, the formulas weren't enough. No one knew how to carry them out or how they were supposed to equate."  
  
"Not until they got all of the pieces," said Shinji, "But, who gathered all of them."  
  
"Checking. Wait, no, this isn't possible."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"It's, Shinji, our mothers finished the puzzle."  
  
Asuka looked over at Shinji, expecting horror to be on his face. However, instead he looked thoughtful.  
  
"My mother worked with biomechanics," he said, "What did your mother do?"  
  
"What? Uh, I think she worked on advanced cybernetics."  
  
Shinji nodded. "It's beginning to make sense now. Dr. Naoko Akagi. Look up that name."  
  
"Okay, but how is she related to-oh. I see."  
  
"Yeah. She's Ritsuko's mom. She was also involved with the construction and design of the MAGI supercomputers. What's more, she helped design and build Unit 00."  
  
"How do you know all this?" Asuka asked.  
  
"Because when I was drifting with all those souls, I saw things. I saw people, their memories. I saw so much that I'm only beginning to understand. But it makes sense now. The three that put the pieces together, Dr. Yui Ikari, Dr. Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu, and Dr. Naoko Akagi. This is their legacy. Third Impact."  
  
"But, you're saying our mothers knew about this and they went along anyways?" Asuka demanded, "No, my mother would never help the genocide of humanity!"  
  
"I doubt she saw it as genocide," said Shinji, "Look at the here and now. Humanity was suffering and Third Impact would have ended that. But it would have ended so much more. I think they believed it to be worth the price. And there's also Seele to consider."  
  
"I've heard of them before," said Asuka, "They're the ones that wanted to initiate Third Impact so badly, right?"  
  
"Yes. And we were just another wrinkle in their plan. Consider this. Me, you, and Rei. The three of us were connected to two of the women that began everything. But what does Ritsuko have to do with anything?"  
  
"She was head of Project E," said Asuka, "She must have known about all this including Third Impact."  
  
"That certainly would explain a lot. But there has to be more than what meets the eye. Our mothers worked in the Human Instrumentality Project for a reason. What was it?"  
  
"Could Seele have something to do with it?" Asuka suggested.  
  
"Perhaps. No. They were been manipulated, just as they tried to manipulate my father, just as he tried to manipulate them. It had to originate from our mothers. Otherwise none of this would have touched off."  
  
"Why would our mothers ever do such a thing?" Asuka asked again, not sure she believed him.  
  
"I don't know. But we don't have everything yet. The reasoning and designs behind our EVAs, Units 00, 01, and 02. They were different from the other EVAs for a reason."  
  
"It might just be because the development wasn't advanced enough," said Asuka, "Besides, that's why they were called prototype and test type models."  
  
"And yours was called the production model. If it was that simple, I'd just drop it. It never is and I refuse to believe everything is as it looks. Try to look up Unit 00's designs."  
  
Asuka nodded though she knew Shinji couldn't see her. Finding the schematics wasn't hard and she displayed them.  
  
"What exactly am I looking for?" she asked.  
  
"Why do they say it was built from Adam?" Shinji replied.  
  
"Okay. Let's see, something about the pattern on the core, the EVA's core. It has to do something with that. No, there's more. The Angels had a distinct DNA pattern. Unit 00 was built up from that DNA apparently. But it's different from all of the other Angels. Angels are made of a substance like solidified light but Unit 00 is purely biological. It isn't like that."  
  
"I would hope not," said Shinji, "The EVAs were manmade anyways. The Angels evolved by themselves. Go to Unit 01."  
  
"Why? Shouldn't I look more into its control systems?"  
  
"We know how it is built from Adam," said Shinji, "We need to know more about what makes Unit 01 unique."  
  
Asuka saw the truth in that but hesitated. Why was Shinji so determined to find out more about Unit 01? True it was his EVA and it had been crucial in initiating Third Impact, but there was always more than met the eye. She accessed the files on Unit 01 and brought them up. It took a few seconds before everything loaded. The laptop she was using wasn't powerful enough to keep up with the MAGI so there was a waiting time.  
  
"Okay, I have Unit 01's data. The core was patterned, wait, the core wasn't patterned after Lilith's. Lilith didn't have any core for NERV to pattern off of. They just used the genetic material."  
  
"Did the core develop on its own?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Checking. Damn it, I can't make heads or tails of this information. It's something about energy fluctuations that inverted an AT-Field inside Unit 01. I think this happened during the construction, even before they installed the piloting system. But there's more, it says that the core was only a hollow sphere until some kind of accident. What? Oh my god."  
  
"What is it?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Shinji, it says here your mother disappeared in a sync experiment."  
  
Asuka looked over at Shinji and saw his face was frozen. There was no emotion on it and she couldn't sense anything from him.  
  
Memories of that fateful day returned to Shinji. He had fought so hard to suppress them and yet he knew he shouldn't have. But he had been too young to understand what was happening, only that something was wrong. Shortly after that his father abandoned him.  
  
"My mother was absorbed into Unit 01," he finally said, "She was wiped off the face of the planet because of that accident. But I doubt it was truly an accident."  
  
"What?" said Asuka, "What are you saying!"  
  
"And that's why NERV was able to retrieve me," Shinji continued as if he hadn't heard her. "Only one soul can reside within an EVA. EVA is called a soulless being that does our bidding. How vain we were considering we created a God."  
  
"Shinji! Snap out of it! What the fuck are you talking about!"  
  
Shinji shook his head. "It's all rather sad, isn't it? Everything we believed in. Both of us believed our mothers loved us, no matter what. But in the end, what do we get? The EVAs are gods, Asuka. Gods that we created. And Unit 01 is the embodiment of humanity's strength and follies."  
  
Asuka rolled over to Shinji and slapped him hard, knocking the sunglasses away.  
  
"Damn it Shinji! Do not lose yourself now. I need you more than ever. Just tell me what's wrong!"  
  
Shinji put the sunglasses back on and sighed.  
  
"The world ended, Asuka. And yet, there's hope. But what first what must be done is the destruction of Third Impact. And we need the help of the people who started it."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Asuka asked, "You said our mothers and Dr. Akagi had something to do with it. How are we supposed to talk to them?"  
  
"If only Unit 00, 01, and 02 still remained. We might get somewhere."  
  
"Why?" Asuka asked.  
  
"Don't you see? The core was empty until after the accident. I would bet it was the same with Unit 02. And then Unit 00. Well, it's the only one left to fit in the puzzle. The EVAs, Asuka. The cores are all that is left of our mothers."  
  
Asuka's eyes went wide. She had never considered that. But she had felt a comforting presence in Unit 02 when she fought against the MP EVAs. Was that really her mother? Then, why did Shinji act as if they didn't love their children?  
  
"They loved us enough to sacrifice themselves," said Shinji, "but they sacrificed themselves to a false cause. And now we're the ones that must pick up the pieces. The Human Instrumentality Project will not succeed. It was doomed from the start. If humanity truly was meant to evolve in such a way, we would not be here. But, I think we have a chance to make sure it never happens again."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Asuka asked again. She felt as if Shinji was losing his grip on reality. Was he?  
  
"When the time comes, all humans will die. But we're different. We will die as well but we will not die like other humans. Do you think you can handle that?"  
  
"First tell me what the hell you're blabbing about," Asuka demanded.  
  
"It's simple. We can save the world but the world cannot save us. In fact, the world might end up condemning us. Are you willing to live with that?"  
  
Asuka looked at Shinji. There was something different about him. Why was he asking her these questions. Then realization struck her.  
  
"This isn't about you," she said, "It's about us. You're asking whether I'm willing to live with you and die with you."  
  
"Of course. When we die, it will be together. One cannot survive without the other. And when we die, we seal Third Impact. We ensure it will never happen again."  
  
"But why?" Asuka asked.  
  
"Because we are the last of the true Children. No one else will have the ability to pilot EVA after us."  
  
"How do you know this?" Asuka demanded.  
  
"How? I do not know. What I know is that I want to be with you. What I'm asking you is are you afraid to stay with me?"  
  
"No. Why would I be?"  
  
"Because pain and happiness go with each other. In the end, will you always stay with me?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
Shinji nodded. "Very well. I'll tell you why I said all those things. Because within my mind's eye, I can see humanity returning. But I can also see that our death will change the world."  
  
End of Chapter 8  
  
Adaptation is taking longer to finish than I thought. After that, I'll probably finish the other EVA fics and move onto my C&C fics. And then back to the traditional CCS fics. Of course Across Time and Space will take a very long time.  
  
Z98 


	10. Awakening of Faith

I was brain dead for a few days. Having to redraft about thirty-some pictures in AutoCAD isn't fun. Now I just have to figure out exactly what happened in the last chapter so I can write this one. I expect maybe two more chapters after this. Well, one more chapter and an epilogue. That's of you're unlucky. If you're lucky, I'll dish out another five chapters along with an epilogue. If God is on my side, I would stretch this to ten more high quality chapters and an epilogue, but I just don't see that.  
  
Just for the record, I do have a copy of the bible. I think. Well, I'm atheist and I never made it past halfway before skipping to Revelation. Is there an online copy of the bible somewhere? And the quoting and interpretation of the bible is merely an example of the two children searching for reason.  
  
Recrudesce of Evangelion  
  
Chapter 9: Awakening of Faith  
  
Asuka Langley Soryu never liked getting up early, another reason why she hated school so much. However, with the rest of humanity swimming in the LCL ocean, there was no school and she could sleep as late as she wanted. Well, as long as Shinji was willing to let her use him as a pillow. Shinji stirred, waking Asuka up. She doubted he had done it intentionally but apparently he was waking up too. But she still wanted to just lie there so she kept her eyes closed and stayed cuddled up with Shinji.  
  
"Asuka."  
  
She remained silent, not wanting to reply.  
  
"Asuka, we have to get up."  
  
This new arrangement had been at the insistence of Asuka. As both of them had a disability that required the other to look after them, she had pointed out that getting up from two different rooms would be a hassle. Never one to take no for an answer, Asuka got what she wanted.  
  
"Come on Asuka. I know you're awake."  
  
"Don't want to get up," Asuka murmured, "Too comfortable."  
  
Her head was currently resting under Shinji's chin and her arm was lying across his chest. Shinji couldn't help but smile but there was work to be done today. He gently pushed Asuka off of him and sat up.  
  
"Come on Asuka, get up. It's not like you can sleep the whole day away."  
  
Asuka opened her eyes and looked at Shinji.  
  
"And why not?" she asked, "It's not like we have anywhere to go."  
  
"We're short on food, remember?"  
  
Asuka moaned. "This sucks."  
  
Shinji chuckled and swung his legs off the bed. He felt Asuka's wheelchair and pulled it over to her. She then got on with his help and he pushed her out to the bathroom. She prepared his toothbrush and the two brushed their teeth. After that Asuka made breakfast again and once they'd eaten and cleaned the dishes they went outside to the store again.  
  
What was amazing was that the power was still running after two weeks. The refrigerators all worked and so the frozen food hadn't gone bad yet. Asuka made the selections though Shinji pressed her to make sure they got some healthy stuff too. They left the grocery store and went back home. Again Asuka made sandwiches as they prepared to go to the satellite relay again. There was still work to be done.  
  
"Shinji, what if we can't free humanity?" Asuka asked.  
  
"Then we live out our life alone," Shinji replied, "But we'll be together so we'll be okay."  
  
Asuka nodded though she was a bit unsure. There were times when she felt it was her greatest wish to be with Shinji forever without anyone in the way. Other times she longed to see other faces, familiar faces of the people she knew but were now gone.  
  
"I wish I could see Misato again," Asuka said, "God what am I saying? I actually miss her."  
  
"One would hope so," said Shinji, "She did do her best to take care of us."  
  
Asuka smiled at him. "Yeah. Though it was pretty much chaos here with all three of us."  
  
She finished the sandwiches and packed them.  
  
Another day of work was ahead, Asuka thought tiredly. Why couldn't we just spend one day relaxing?  
  
That thought had been running through her head for a week now. Not that she didn't mind spending time with Shinji, on the contrary, if he wasn't here she'd have probably done stupid by now. But she wanted to spend some quality time with him, not just at work.  
  
"Hey Asuka," Shinji suddenly said, "Tomorrow, let's go to the beach. Okay?"  
  
"The beach? Why?"  
  
"To just relax. I'm tired and I just want a chance to relax."  
  
Asuka's smile grew wider. "That's the first intelligent thing you've said today baka."  
  
Shinji laughed and the two went out. He pushed her all the way to the relay again, this time without resting. All this exercise was helping him tone his body. Asuka hooked up their laptop to the network and they started downloading more information. Now they were going after information specifically regarding Third Impact.  
  
"What was the objective?" Shinji asked again, "To unite the souls yes but into what?"  
  
"I'm looking," Asuka said, "It's not like I can pull information in a whim."  
  
"If anyone could, it'd be you," Shinji joked.  
  
Asuka continued typing for a few more seconds before raising an eyebrow.  
  
"You know, you just might be right."  
  
"What? You found something?"  
  
"Oh yeah. The eighteenth Angel. Humanis."  
  
"And what exactly is Humanis?" Shinji asked.  
  
"The Angel of Life," said Asuka, "Apparently all of the Angels represented something. The Human Instrumentality Project was to recreate Humanis."  
  
"What was the point of it?" Shinji asked, "Humanity was fine just the way it was."  
  
"Apparently whoever set this up believed that humanity was at the end of its evolutionary journey. The Project was supposed to artificially induce one last evolutionary phase and turn us all back into Humanis."  
  
"Well that didn't exactly work out," said Shinji.  
  
Asuka nodded. "No it didn't. Us being here proves it. Humanity has to be completely joined and not one single soul can be free if Humanis is to be created."  
  
"What happens if there are free souls?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Then everything falls apart. Which works for us."  
  
He had to agree with that. Being with Asuka was something he loved, but it would be nice to see the other people he cared for.  
  
"So, we know everyone will come back. But how long will it take?" Asuka asked.  
  
"We'll see."  
  
Asuka stuck out her tongue at Shinji but then realized how foolish that had been. He couldn't see her do it.  
  
"Since we have nothing else to do today, why don't we go home and relax?" Shinji suggested.  
  
"Definitely. But what can we do? You're blind."  
  
"Want to read to me?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Sure. Let's go."  
  
The two ate their lunches and then returned to the apartment. From there Asuka tried to find something worth reading.  
  
"It wasn't like we had that much stuff," she said, "Most of my things are in German and I doubt I could translate that well."  
  
"What about the bible?" Shinji suggested.  
  
Asuka thought about it. "Do we have one?"  
  
"I don't think so. That was probably another thing from the scenario."  
  
"Where can we get a Japanese bible?" Asuka asked.  
  
"Know any churches that still stand?"  
  
Asuka shrugged. She logged onto the internet and searched for churches in Tokyo 3. A few popped up to her surprise and she found one that was outside the blast radius of Unit 00 and should still be standing. That place would have a bible providing the pastor hadn't taken everything when he left. No civilians were supposed to have remained even close to Tokyo 3.  
  
"Found a place and I have a map. Let's go."  
  
The two left the apartment again, looking fondly at the beer pyramid as they passed it, and walked to the church. When they went inside, it was actually in pretty good order. Shinji pushed Asuka around until they found a bible in Japanese.  
  
"Where should I start?" Asuka asked.  
  
The two had decided to start reading it here as neither was ready for the walk back yet.  
  
"How about Genesis?" Shinji replied.  
  
Asuka flipped open to Genesis and started reading.  
  
" 'In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was empty, a formless mass cloaked in darkness. And the Spirit of God was hovering over its surface. Then God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. And God saw that it was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light "day" and the darkness "night." Together these made up one day.' "  
  
"The creation of Earth," said Shinji, "Interesting how they define it."  
  
"Perhaps," said Asuka, "though I don't see why it should hold so much interest for you."  
  
"You might say I like hearing about the creation of life instead of its destruction," Shinji said sheepishly.  
  
Asuka shrugged but understood her roommate. She continued reading.  
  
" 'And God said, "Let there be space between the waters, to separate water from water," And so it was. God made this space to separate the waters above from the waters below. And God called the space "sky." This happened on the second day.'  
  
" 'And God said, "Let the waters beneath the sky be gathered into one place so dry ground may appear." And so it was. God named the dry ground "land and the water "seas." And God saw that it was good. Then God said, "Let the land burst forth with every sort of grass and seed-bearing plant. And let there be trees that grow which they came." And so it was. The land was filled with seed-bearing plants and trees, and their seeds produced plants and trees of like kind. And God saw that it was good. This all happened on the third day.'  
  
"So what do you think about that?" Asuka asked, pausing for a second.  
  
"For some reason that doesn't seem right," said Shinji, "I know the story itself is scientifically impossible unless a day isn't what it seems to be. But again, it raises the question. Why were these text written?"  
  
"I don't know," said Asuka, "They were probably hallucinating and just wrote that stuff down to try to become important."  
  
"You always have such a negative opinion on things," Shinji said to her.  
  
"And maybe you should be a priest," Asuka shot back.  
  
That drew a thoughtful look.  
  
"In a way, that would be endlessly ironic," Shinji finally said, "The man that spent so much time killing Angels preaching the word of God."  
  
"Oh no you don't," said Asuka, "I do not want you to become a pastor. And besides, you're blind. How will you read from the bible?"  
  
"I only said that was ironic," said Shinji, "I never said I would become a pastor. Besides, that is not something I consider my duty to do."  
  
"And what is your duty?" Asuka asked.  
  
"Why, to be with you."  
  
Asuka giggled and shook her head.  
  
"You're being way too full of yourself," she said, "And I like it."  
  
Asuka looked back at the bible and continued reading.  
  
" 'And God said, "Let bright lights appear in the sky to separate the day and the night. They will be signs to mark off the seasons, the days, and the years. Let their light shine down upon the earth." And so it was. For God made two great lights, the sun and the moon, to shine down upon the earth. The greater one, the sun, presides during the day; the lesser one, the moon, presides through the night. He also made the stars. God set these lights in the heavens to light the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. This all happened on the fourth day.'  
  
"I have to give Moses credit," Asuka suddenly said, "He certainly had a way with words."  
  
"I guess that's why the bible is considered a lasting piece of literature," said Shinji.  
  
"Nothing lasts if you don't remember it," Asuka replied, "Do you think people will remember us once we die?"  
  
"All that is important is that we remember ourselves and each other," said Shinji, "That's all we can expect."  
  
"Perhaps," said Asuka, "But I want to be remembered even after the next generation. What we've done is ensure that humanity survives as individuals. Don't you think we deserve some remembrance for that?"  
  
"Why do you care so much about being remembered?" Shinji asked, "Who cares what others think of us as long as we have confidence in what we are?"  
  
"What, cripples?"  
  
"No. Lovers."  
  
Asuka couldn't believe what Shinji had said. Since when had he become so bold? She shook her head.  
  
"And what do you mean by that?" she questioned.  
  
"Simply that we love each other," said Shinji, "Nothing more, nothing less."  
  
"Oh. And I thought you meant something perverted."  
  
Shinji smiled. "Wouldn't you like that?"  
  
Asuka whacked him on the head.  
  
"Get those thoughts out of your head immediately," she ordered.  
  
"Yes ma'am," said Shinji, "Think you're ready for the trip back?"  
  
"Yeah. I'll hang onto this bible as you're doing all the grunt work."  
  
"That's what you said I was good for," Shinji reminded her, "Remember 9th Angel?"  
  
"Well what else were we supposed to do?" Asuka asked, "You shouldn't expect women to do manual labor. Besides, we had you."  
  
"Yeah," Shinji mumbled, "The things I put up with for you."  
  
"Oh come now Shinji, you don't really mean that."  
  
"I mean it only as so far as what I have to do to see you smile," said Shinji.  
  
"Now that's what I like about you Third Child," Asuka replied.  
  
The trip back to the apartment took a while but they got back in time for dinner. Asuka wiped up something following Shinji's instructions and they both enjoyed a delicious dinner. Then it was a bit more reading from the bible and to bed they went.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
The alarm was somehow still working and woke up Asuka with a vengeance. Of course, the Second Child retaliated with a vengeance. The clock was whacked across the room and crashed into Shinji's door. It fell to the floor, the back popping off and the gears inside coming loose. The sounds these produced was not lost to Shinji Ikari.  
  
"Asuka, that's the fifth time," he said.  
  
"So? This wouldn't keep happening if you didn't reset the alarm every time."  
  
"You set it for ten," Shinji replied, "I merely set it three hours earlier than what you set."  
  
"So if I set seven you would still set it three hours earlier?" Asuka asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"You don't trust me on this?" Asuka asked, making her voice as seductive as possible.  
  
"Of course not. If you had your way, you'd sleep forever."  
  
Asuka frowned. Normally that tone would be making Shinji blush uncontrollably and stutter to the ends of the earth. He really had changed. Or, that scenario had changed him.  
  
"Let's get up," Shinji said softly.  
  
Reluctantly Asuka allowed Shinji to get her out of bed and put her in the wheelchair. It was another routine morning as she made breakfast, they ate, and then cleaned up. However, after making lunch, the routine broke. The two didn't go to the satellite relay. Instead they headed towards the beach.  
  
"I can't even remember the last time I was at the beach," Asuka said.  
  
"The last time I was at a beach was when I was looking over the lake Rei had made," Shinji said sadly, "though I don't even really remember it. How odd."  
  
"Maybe you were spacing out," Asuka suggested.  
  
"Probably. All I really remember about it was that the waters felt so calm. But of course I still can't swim."  
  
"We'll fix that someday," said Asuka, "If humanity does return, we'll do it later. If humanity doesn't, we'll do it soon."  
  
"Okay. Asuka, can you trust me on something?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Humanity will return. It might be after we die, but humanity will come back."  
  
"I believe you," Asuka said immediately.  
  
Shinji smiled as they came to a halt. The LCL ocean was still a sight to behold though what it meant might chill the blood of many people. Asuka laid out a blanket and Shinji helped her down. He then sat down himself while Asuka took out the sandwiches. The two enjoyed their lunch and then Shinji laid down. Asuka moved over and used his chest as a pillow.  
  
"The breeze is really nice," she said.  
  
"Of course," said Shinji, "though you are blocking it."  
  
Asuka chuckled and rolled over to face him. She pecked him on the cheek before settling down by his side.  
  
"We should do this more often," she said.  
  
"Maybe we'll get the chance to," said Shinji, "How about we come back tomorrow?"  
  
"No work?"  
  
"I don't think there's anything else we can do," said Shinji, "We have all the information we'll need to take down any organization that was part of the attempted Third Impact. Now, let's just rest and wait."  
  
"Sounds good to me," Asuka said.  
  
The couple laid there, Asuka completely unaware of why Shinji really wanted to come here. However, it would turn out to be a very pleasant surprise for her.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
A body slowly formed in the warm LCL. Pieces came together, the liquid turning into solid and gathered. At first all there was was a body without any structure. It looked like jelly and rubber. Then the form solidified and shape was given to it. Legs and arms formed, along with the head. Brown hair reappeared, covering the head. Breasts grew out a little and the body was swept towards the beach. The first human had returned.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Shinji was still blind so he wasn't looking out at the ocean. At the moment he was just serving as the pillow for Asuka, which wasn't too bad actually. Suddenly Asuka shoot up and the pressure on his chest was gone.  
  
"What's wrong?" Shinji asked.  
  
"A body just got washed up onto the shore. Shinji, I think you're right, humanity is really returning. Come on!"  
  
Shinji got up and helped Asuka back onto the wheelchair. He then followed her directions and pushed her to near the body. It was he who had to pull the person onto dry land completely, though that proved a little tricky with being blind and all.  
  
"Oh my god, Shinji, it's Hikari! And she's naked! Quick, cover your eyes you pervert!"  
  
"What!"  
  
"Oh, yeah. Sorry."  
  
"What do we do?" Shinji asked, ignoring Asuka's mistake.  
  
"I doubt she would want you to carry her around naked," said Asuka, "Go get the blanket and wrap her in it. Then we'll figure something out."  
  
Shinji followed her instructions and she was laid on Asuka's lap as there was no other way to carry her. Asuka held Hikari up in a sitting position and they started back. Then Asuka had a thought.  
  
"Hey Shinji, what if more people come back?" she asked.  
  
"I think Hikari's the only one for today," Shinji said with a smile.  
  
"What? How do you know?"  
  
"I'm not sure, but before Hikari appeared I kept sensing something. Now, she's back and I don't sense it anymore. Maybe it's just because I'm blind."  
  
"Oh. Hey, do you think someone will come back tomorrow."  
  
"I don't know," said Shinji, "Maybe, maybe not."  
  
Asuka didn't buy it but said nothing.  
  
"Is there anything else we can do?" Asuka asked.  
  
"Not now. Let's just get Hikari home and let her rest."  
  
The three got back to the apartment and Hikari was laid on the sofa. The two got a blanket and covered her with it. From there, Shinji simply sat there while Asuka started reading to him from Genesis again. She was halfway through when Hikari finally awoke.  
  
"Oh, my head."  
  
Asuka closed the book and put it down. She looked at Hikari as she stirred, waiting for her to notice her and Shinji. This she did very quickly.  
  
"Asuka? Ikari? What are you two doing here? Where is here anyways?"  
  
"This is our apartment," Asuka answered, "We found you on the beach."  
  
Hikari blinked and shook her head, not sure she understood. Then she noticed her state of undress.  
  
"Ah! Asuka, where are my clothes!"  
  
"You didn't have any on," said Asuka, "Here, these are some of mine. You'll have to borrow them for now."  
  
"Oh my god," Hikari said, her face growing red. She looked over at Shinji who was still wearing the sunglasses.  
  
"Oh don't worry about that," Asuka said, following Hikari's glance. "Shinji didn't see anything."  
  
"What do you mean he didn't see anything!" Hikari screamed, "He had to have helped you carry me back!"  
  
"In a way he did but he didn't really touch anywhere inappropriate," Asuka assured her, "He just pulled you out of the water and after that I wrapped you in a blanket. And besides, he can't see anything."  
  
"Uh, what?"  
  
"He's blind," Asuka informed her.  
  
"What? How did that happen? Was it a fight with an Angel?"  
  
Asuka flinched noticeably as Hikari turned her head to look at her.  
  
"What? What did I say?"  
  
Shinji placed a hand on Asuka's shoulder reassuringly.  
  
"It wasn't a fight against an Angel," Shinji answered, "It's just the price I paid to come back to the real world."  
  
"Oh. Wait, what?"  
  
"You know all that talk about stopping the Angels?" Asuka asked her friend, "Well, the reason we wanted to stop them was because of something called Third Impact, which would have wiped out humanity."  
  
"But it turns out that the people who controlled EVA wanted to initiate their own Third Impact," Shinji continued, "Asuka and I broke away from it and now you have too. Soon the rest of humanity will return."  
  
"From what?"  
  
"Well, I don't know if you'll believe this," said Asuka, "but Third Impact was meant to merge all of humanity's souls. Shinji and I broke away first and now you're here."  
  
"But, why?"  
  
"Don't try to think about it too much," Shinji advised her, "Just trust us on this."  
  
"Okay, I guess. Hey, Asuka, why are you on a wheelchair?"  
  
"Oh, uh, well, let's just say I also had to pay a price to get back."  
  
"What! You can't walk? What about me? Did I also have to pay a price?"  
  
As Hikari twisted around trying to see if she was injured in some way the blanket fell off her, revealing her body.  
  
"Eek!"  
  
"Something wrong?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Yes! Turn her eyes!"  
  
Shinji chuckled but did so. It was then that Hikari remembered the Third Child's condition.  
  
"Oh I'm sorry Ikari, I forgot."  
  
"It's okay. I suggest you put on those clothes Asuka brought out."  
  
Hikari quickly grabbed the underwear and school uniform that Asuka had. She put them on and felt a bit more comfortable around the two pilots.  
  
"So what do we do now?" she asked.  
  
"We prepare dinner," Asuka said, "Shinji can't cook because he's blind so we get the job."  
  
Shinji stood up and got behind Asuka.  
  
"But I still have to get you to the kitchen."  
  
Asuka smiled and patted Shinji on the cheek as she was pushed there. Hikari followed them and the two girls went to work while Shinji stood to the side.  
  
"This is actually a nice place," said Hikari.  
  
"Yeah. A lot of the apartments are smaller in Japan," Asuka replied, "Hand me those carrots, will you?"  
  
"Here. No meat?"  
  
"Not really," said Asuka, "After all that fighting and being dunked in LCL, I prefer not to have the taste of blood in my mouth again."  
  
"Oh. I can understand that. So, the two of you are a couple now?"  
  
Asuka blushed but nodded. Hikari smiled at her friend.  
  
"That's pretty sweet. A lot of people in our class always thought the two of you were going out even if you guys fought all the time."  
  
Thinking about the class, Hikari slowed down and finally stopped what she was doing. Asuka looked at her friend but it was Shinji that spoke.  
  
"Is something wrong?" he asked.  
  
"I was just thinking about Toji," Hikari admitted.  
  
"Don't worry," said Shinji, "I'm sure he'll be back."  
  
"Do you really think so?" Hikari asked, turning so she could look at Shinji.  
  
He nodded. "Yeah. And how knows? Maybe he'll be the next person."  
  
Hikari brightened and smiled her thanks. Then, realizing Shinji couldn't see her, she said it.  
  
"Thank you Ikari."  
  
"You're welcome, Horaki."  
  
"Be careful Shinji," Asuka teased, "Or else your girlfriend here might start thinking you're cheating."  
  
"Asuka! How could you say that!" Hikari demanded, not realizing her friend was just joking. "Shinji here is a very kind-hearted person and would never leave you."  
  
"So you know of his qualities do you?" Asuka said, turning her attention to Hikari. "Yeah I know too. Silly, I was just teasing."  
  
Hikari shook her head. She should have known by now when Asuka teased and when she was serious. Dinner was finished a few minutes later and consisted of soup, some bread, and salad.  
  
"You can sleep in my room," said Asuka, "I'm sleeping with Shinji right now anyways."  
  
"What!"  
  
"Hey, nothing is happening," Asuka assured her, "Besides, we kind of need each other in close proximity. I'm Shinji's eyes and he's my legs."  
  
"That's kinda sweet," Hikari said after she thought about it.  
  
"It was baka's idea to begin with."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Well, the sleeping part was Asuka's," Shinji said, "I came up with the idea of being her legs though."  
  
"Doesn't surprise me," said Hikari, "You can be a very gentle person when you want to be."  
  
"Don't push it," Asuka warned.  
  
Hikari smiled. "Why Asuka, I would never dream on cutting in on your action."  
  
Asuka choked on the soup as Shinji burst out into laughter.  
  
"You did ask for it," Shinji said to his girlfriend.  
  
"Yeah yeah, be quiet."  
  
Dinner was more lively today as there was another voice at the table. Shinji and Asuka both realized how much they missed their friends and both hoped that tomorrow someone else would come back.  
  
End of Chapter 9  
  
This is actually one of the shorter chapters. Anyways, I realized this fact. I will not be able to finish Adaptation until I finish Recrudesce so at the very best they will finish simultaneously. Currently I'm out of ideas for this story so I might work on Adaptation. But as some of you know, I have like half a dozen fics running.  
  
Z98 


End file.
